Comparison
Water-rich against water-poor
Brazil, Canada, Egypt and Saudi Arabia — the extremes of national water endowment.
Side by side
| Metric | Brazil | Canada | Egypt | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total renewable freshwater resourceskm³/yr | 5,661.002022 | 2,850.002022 | 1.002022 | 2.402022 |
| Renewable freshwater per personm³/person/yr | 26,9182022 | 73,1702022 | 92022 | 752022 |
| Total freshwater withdrawalkm³/yr | 67.942022 | 36.132022 | 77.502022 | 23.382022 |
| Annual precipitationmm | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held |
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 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
| Subject | Value (km³/yr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 5,661.00 | — |
| Canada | 2,850.00 | — |
| Egypt | 1.00 | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 2.40 | — |
Renewable freshwater per person
Total renewable freshwater resources divided by population.
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
| Subject | Value (m³/person/yr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 26,918 | — |
| Canada | 73,170 | — |
| Egypt | 9 | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 75 | — |
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.
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
| Subject | Value (km³/yr) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 67.94 | — |
| Canada | 36.13 | — |
| Egypt | 77.50 | — |
| Saudi Arabia | 23.38 | — |