Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia
Namibia: Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals was 71.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia, 1985–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total freshwater withdrawal.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 71.5% for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in 2022.
The figure is down 54.1% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia peaked at 155.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 68.3%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 71st out of 180 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 82.1% | — |
| 1986 | 78.5% | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 75.6% | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 73.3% | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 71.3% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 69.7% | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 68.3% | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 68.8% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 69.3% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 69.7% | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 70.1% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 70.6% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 71.0% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 71.3% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 71.7% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 71.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 70.6% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 70.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 70.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 70.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 70.6% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 70.7% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 70.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 71.1% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 71.2% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 71.4% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 71.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 71.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 71.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 72.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 72.2% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 72.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 72.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 72.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 72.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 138.7% | +90.2% |
| 2021 | 155.8% | +12.3% |
| 2022 | 71.5% | -54.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 76.2% | 71.3% | 82.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 70.0% | 68.3% | 71.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.7% | 70.1% | 71.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.1% | 71.4% | 72.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 122.0% | 71.5% | 155.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 68 Ghana 73.1% compare
- 69 Mozambique 73.0% compare
- 70 El Salvador 72.8% compare
- 72 Albania 70.9% compare
- 73 Saint Lucia 70.9% compare
- 74 Suriname 70.0% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Namibia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0699 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 340.78 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4913 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 7.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 7.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia?
- Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in Namibia was 71.5% in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 155.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.3% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- Namibia ranks 71st out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Agricultural water withdrawals as a percentage of total water withdrawals (which is the sum of water used for agriculture, industry and domestic purposes). Agricultural water is defined as the annual quantity of self-supplied water withdrawn for irrigation, livestock and aquaculture purposes.