List of countries by total renewable water resources explained

This is the list of countries by total renewable water resources for the year 2020, based on the latest data available in January 2024, by World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization (AQUASTAT data).^[1] Fresh and unpolluted water accounts for 0.003% of total water available globally.^[2]

According to World Bank, India and Brazil has the highest freshwater resources per capita in 2024, ″renewable internal freshwater resources flows refer to internal renewable resources (internal river flows and groundwater from rainfall) in the country.″^[3]

According to Food and Agriculture Organization, ″internal renewable water resources (IRWR) represents long-term average annual flow of rivers and recharge of aquifers generated from endogenous precipitation. External renewable water resources (ERWR) represents that part of the country's long-term average annual renewable water resources which are not generated in the country. It includes inflows from upstream countries (groundwater and surface water), and part of the water of border lakes and/or rivers. Total actual renewable water resources (TARWR) is the sum of internal renewable water resources and incoming flow originating outside the country. The computation of TARWR takes into account upstream abstraction and quantity of flows reserved to upstream and downstream countries through formal or informal agreements or treaties. It is a measure of the maximum theoretical amount of water actually available for the country.″^[4]

Water resources

See main article: Water distribution on Earth and Water resources.

Out of all the water on Earth, saline water in oceans, seas and saline groundwater make up about 97% of it. Only 2.5–2.75% is fresh water, including 1.75–2% frozen in glaciers, ice and snow, 0.5–0.75% as fresh groundwater and soil moisture, and less than 0.01% of it as surface water in lakes, swamps and rivers. Freshwater lakes contain about 87% of this fresh surface water, including 29% in the African Great Lakes, 22% in Lake Baikal in Russia, 21% in the North American Great Lakes, and 14% in other lakes. Swamps have most of the balance with only a small amount in rivers, most notably the Amazon River. The atmosphere contains 0.04% water. In areas with no fresh water on the ground surface, fresh water derived from precipitation may, because of its lower density, overlie saline ground water in lenses or layers. Most of the world's fresh water is frozen in ice sheets. Many areas suffer from lack of distribution of fresh water, such as deserts.^{[5] [6]}

List of countries by total renewable water resources

The following table provides information on annual renewable water resources based on data published by World Bank^{[7] [8]} and Food and Agriculture Organization. Total renewable water resources per capita are calculated using the World Bank's population estimates. Sorting is alphabetical by country code, according to ISO 3166-1 alpha-3.

Country/Territory/Region/Group	Internal renewable water resources	External renewable water resources	Total renewable water resources	Total renewable water resources per capita	Freshwater withdrawal as % of total renewable water resources (%)
WORLD					data-sort-value=550
					data-sort-value=121
					data-sort-value=443
					data-sort-value=948
					data-sort-value=406
					data-sort-value=1600
					data-sort-value=644
					data-sort-value=245
					data-sort-value=56100
					data-sort-value=1918
					data-sort-value=617
					data-sort-value=80400
					data-sort-value=82300
					data-sort-value=104
					data-sort-value=81500
					data-sort-value=58100
					data-sort-value=62700
					data-sort-value=303
					data-sort-value=300
					data-sort-value=172
					data-sort-value=1070
					data-sort-value=363
					data-sort-value=3864
					data-sort-value=2543
					data-sort-value=2655
					data-sort-value=28500
					data-sort-value=1924
					data-sort-value=10097
					data-sort-value=94300
					data-sort-value=2639
					data-sort-value=7499
					data-sort-value=468
					data-sort-value=4585
					data-sort-value=199
					data-sort-value=287
					data-sort-value=1031
					data-sort-value=969
					data-sort-value=3893
					data-sort-value=4212
					data-sort-value=149
					data-sort-value=51500
					data-sort-value=2206
					data-sort-value=337
					data-sort-value=63000
					data-sort-value=123
					data-sort-value=129
					data-sort-value=27500
					data-sort-value=278
					data-sort-value=103
					data-sort-value=214
					data-sort-value=25900
					data-sort-value=2515
					data-sort-value=900
					data-sort-value=78700
					data-sort-value=235
					data-sort-value=956
					data-sort-value=104
					data-sort-value=1935
					data-sort-value=3102
					data-sort-value=296
					data-sort-value=7154
					data-sort-value=216
					data-sort-value=1562
					data-sort-value=94200
					data-sort-value=1712
					data-sort-value=117
					data-sort-value=794
					data-sort-value=1629
					data-sort-value=542
					data-sort-value=162
					data-sort-value=648
					data-sort-value=30231
					data-sort-value=896
					data-sort-value=931
					data-sort-value=115
					data-sort-value=61500
					data-sort-value=743
					data-sort-value=104
					data-sort-value=983
					data-sort-value=147
					data-sort-value=82700
					data-sort-value=46389
					data-sort-value=8100
					data-sort-value=307
					data-sort-value=384
					data-sort-value=6200
					data-sort-value=341
					data-sort-value=343
					data-sort-value=39800
					data-sort-value=744
					data-sort-value=736
					data-sort-value=50400
					data-sort-value=125
					data-sort-value=0
					data-sort-value=2601
					data-sort-value=84800
					data-sort-value=3931
					data-sort-value=10500
					data-sort-value=167
					data-sort-value=241
					data-sort-value=232
					data-sort-value=553
					data-sort-value=159
					data-sort-value=891
					data-sort-value=79000
					data-sort-value=61500
					data-sort-value=1194
					data-sort-value=5800
					data-sort-value=325
					data-sort-value=261
					data-sort-value=283
					data-sort-value=9800
					data-sort-value=1877
					data-sort-value=1056
					data-sort-value=322
					data-sort-value=8900
					data-sort-value=217
					data-sort-value=83300
					data-sort-value=1747
					data-sort-value=248
					data-sort-value=14400
					data-sort-value=106
					data-sort-value=2312
					data-sort-value=63100
					data-sort-value=7101
					data-sort-value=675
					data-sort-value=81200
					data-sort-value=6424
					data-sort-value=30800
					data-sort-value=24200
					data-sort-value=3181
					data-sort-value=4927
					data-sort-value=427
					data-sort-value=8216
					data-sort-value=141
					data-sort-value=216
					data-sort-value=259
					data-sort-value=369
					data-sort-value=1768
					data-sort-value=16900
					data-sort-value=2000
					data-sort-value=220
					data-sort-value=2993
					data-sort-value=72300
					data-sort-value=6700
					data-sort-value=9000
					data-sort-value=157
					data-sort-value=10600
					data-sort-value=6467
					data-sort-value=1943
					data-sort-value=248
					data-sort-value=36300
					data-sort-value=122
					data-sort-value=245
					data-sort-value=997
					data-sort-value=16308
					data-sort-value=231
					data-sort-value=888
					data-sort-value=1652
					data-sort-value=224
					data-sort-value=34300
					data-sort-value=90100
					data-sort-value=136
					data-sort-value=314
					data-sort-value=665
					data-sort-value=22500
					data-sort-value=632
					data-sort-value=253
					data-sort-value=34500
					data-sort-value=272
					data-sort-value=136
					data-sort-value=87800
					data-sort-value=125
					data-sort-value=2689
					data-sort-value=850
					data-sort-value=47700
					data-sort-value=95600
					data-sort-value=2826
					data-sort-value=372
					data-sort-value=3208
					data-sort-value=6500
					data-sort-value=76200
					data-sort-value=424
					data-sort-value=78200
					data-sort-value=4991
					data-sort-value=4302
Least developed countries UN classification					data-sort-value=427
Low & middle income (WB)					data-sort-value=482
Low-income (WB)					data-sort-value=348
Middle-income (WB)					data-sort-value=497
Lower middle income (WB)					data-sort-value=236
Upper middle income (WB)					data-sort-value=792
High-income (WB)					data-sort-value=864
					data-sort-value=304
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)					data-sort-value=932

See also

• List of countries by freshwater withdrawal
• List of rivers by discharge
• List of largest unfragmented rivers

Notes and References

1. Web site: Food and Agriculture Organization . AQUASTAT Dissemination System . data.apps.fao.org . 2024-01-20.
2. Book: The world's water 2006-2007. The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources . Gleick, Peter H. . Island Press . 2013 . 9781597269513.
3. Web site: World Bank . Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) . worldbank.org . 2024-01-20.
4. Web site: Food and Agriculture Organization . AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture Glossary . fao.org . 2024-01-20.
5. Web site: National Geographic . Freshwater Resources . 2024-01-20 . nationalgeographic.org . 26 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220526195118/https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/freshwater-resources.
6. Web site: Water Science School . Where is Earth's Water? . 2018-06-06 . usgs.gov . 2024-01-20.
7. Web site: World Bank . Renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters) . data.worldbank.org . 2024-01-20.
8. Web site: World Bank . Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) . data.worldbank.org . 2024-01-20.