HydrionisGlobal Water Intelligence
Comparison

United Kingdom vs France

Two neighbouring economies with very different water resource positions and agricultural intensity.

Side by side

MetricUnited KingdomFrance
Annual precipitationmm1,0612025Not held
Total renewable freshwater resourceskm³/yr145.002022200.002022
Renewable freshwater per personm³/person/yr2,14420222,9332022
Total freshwater withdrawalkm³/yr8.42202224.432022
Agricultural share of withdrawal%14.0202210.32022
Industrial share of withdrawal%12.0202268.12022
Total renewable freshwater resources
The long-term average annual flow of rivers and recharge of groundwater generated by precipitation within a country, plus inflows from upstream countries.
Total renewable freshwater resourcesUnited Kingdom: 145.00 km³/yr. France: 200.00 km³/yr0100200km³/yrUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom: 145.00 km³/yr145FranceFrance: 200.00 km³/yr200

Total renewable resources include water flowing in from other countries, so a downstream country’s figure may depend on upstream decisions it does not control. Internal renewable resources exclude those inflows and are the better measure of self-sufficiency.

View the data behind this chart
SubjectValue (km³/yr)Notes
United Kingdom145.00—
France200.00—
Renewable freshwater per person
Total renewable freshwater resources divided by population.
Renewable freshwater per personUnited Kingdom: 2,144 m³/person/yr. France: 2,933 m³/person/yr01,0002,0003,000m³/person/yrUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom: 2,144 m³/person/yr2,144FranceFrance: 2,933 m³/person/yr2,933

A per-capita average conceals seasonal and regional distribution entirely. A country can be water-rich on this measure and still have cities that run short.

View the data behind this chart
SubjectValue (m³/person/yr)Notes
United Kingdom2,144—
France2,933—
Total freshwater withdrawal
The total volume of freshwater taken from rivers, lakes and aquifers for all uses in a year, before any of it is returned.
Total freshwater withdrawalUnited Kingdom: 8.42 km³/yr. France: 24.43 km³/yr01020km³/yrUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom: 8.42 km³/yr8.4FranceFrance: 24.43 km³/yr24.4

Reporting years differ between countries, often by a decade. Withdrawal figures also vary in whether they include desalinated water and reused wastewater.

View the data behind this chart
SubjectValue (km³/yr)Notes
United Kingdom8.42—
France24.43—
Agricultural share of withdrawal
Percentage of total freshwater withdrawal used by agriculture.
Agricultural share of withdrawalUnited Kingdom: 14.0%. France: 10.3%051015%United KingdomUnited Kingdom: 14.0%14FranceFrance: 10.3%10.3

A high agricultural share reflects the size and irrigation intensity of the farming sector rather than inefficiency. Countries at the top of any such ranking are typically food producers in arid regions.

View the data behind this chart
SubjectValue (%)Notes
United Kingdom14.0—
France10.3—
Industrial share of withdrawal
Percentage of total freshwater withdrawal used by industry, including energy cooling.
Industrial share of withdrawalUnited Kingdom: 12.0%. France: 68.1%0255075%United KingdomUnited Kingdom: 12.0%12FranceFrance: 68.1%68.1

Countries differ in whether thermoelectric cooling is counted as industrial withdrawal. Where it is included, the industrial share can exceed 50% in countries with large freshwater-cooled power fleets, which reflects cooling arrangements rather than manufacturing intensity.

View the data behind this chart
SubjectValue (%)Notes
United Kingdom12.0—
France68.1—

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