Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals was 14.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1989–2022
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
In 2022, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 14.0%.
That represents a change of up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 15.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1989.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 140th of 180 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total freshwater withdrawal | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 3.6% | — |
| 1990 | 5.5% | +52.3% |
| 1991 | 7.3% | +31.4% |
| 1992 | 9.0% | +23.9% |
| 1993 | 10.8% | +19.2% |
| 1994 | 12.5% | +16.1% |
| 1995 | 14.2% | +13.8% |
| 1996 | 14.5% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 14.8% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 15.1% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 15.3% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 12.0% | -21.8% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 9.4% | -22.3% |
| 2003 | 10.2% | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | +35.3% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 11.1% | -20.7% |
| 2007 | 15.6% | +40.9% |
| 2008 | 13.6% | -12.6% |
| 2009 | 13.1% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | +13.0% |
| 2011 | 12.9% | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 12.8% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +8.2% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 15.4% | +5.7% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 5.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 9.4% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.0% | 12.8% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More agriculture & rural data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 368.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1852 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1668 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 14.0% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1989.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 140th out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.
Download this data
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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.