Chile: Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Chile's renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) fell 224.96 on 2021 (from 45,486 to 45,262).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2021), the average change was −642.98 and a typical year strayed about 189.04 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly fall was 2,155 in 1962. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is downward, about 581.75 a year. A straight line explains 98% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 43,113 for 2025. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2020 to 2022 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 302.45, against 620.59 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2022, Chile had the 12th highest value of the 181 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Chile in the 2022 ranking

• New Zealand — 9th of 181: 64,349
• Solomon Islands — 10th of 181: 57,230
• Peru — 11th of 181: 49,021
• Colombia — 13th of 181: 41,459
• Belize — 14th of 181: 37,891
• Liberia — 15th of 181: 37,221

What this measures

Renewable internal freshwater resources flows refer to internal renewable resources (internal river flows and groundwater from rainfall) in the country. Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita are calculated using the World Bank's population estimates.

Limitations: A common perception is that most of the available freshwater resources are visible (on the surfaces of lakes, reservoirs and rivers). However, this visible water represents only a tiny fraction of global freshwater resources, as most of it is stored in aquifers, with the largest stocks stored in solid form in the Antarctic and in Greenland's ice cap. The data on freshwater resources are based on estimates of runoff into rivers and recharge of groundwater. These estimates are based on different sources and refer to different years, so cross-country comparisons should be made with caution.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 62 values

Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 560.1 (2022)
• Argentina — 6,431 (2022)
• Bahamas, The — 1,761 (2022)
• Barbados — 283.37 (2022)
• Belize — 37,891 (2022)
• Bolivia — 25,130 (2022)
• Brazil — 26,918 (2022)
• Colombia — 41,459 (2022)
• Costa Rica

More environment data for Chile

• Population in largest city — 7 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 39.52% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 7 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 35.24% (2025)
• Rural population — 2.15 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 10.82% (2025)
• Urban population — 17.71 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 89.18% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 1.42 million (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Chile's renewable internal freshwater resources per capita (cubic meters)?

45,262 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is down 57.42% from 106,309 in 1961 (1.39% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 106,309 in 1961 and the lowest 45,262 in 2022.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.H2O.INTR.PC, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), uri: https://data.apps.fao.org/aquastat/, publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), date accessed: 20240529 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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