IBRD only: Renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, IBRD only's renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters) did not change 0% on 2021 (from 26,770 to 26,770).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2021), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 20.9% in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 0% in 1996. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Renewable internal freshwater resources flows refer to internal renewable resources (internal river flows and groundwater from rainfall) in the country.

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 sum.

All 62 values

Renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 47.15 (2022)
• Algeria — 11.25 (2022)
• Bahrain — 0.004 (2022)
• Djibouti — 0.3 (2022)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 1 (2022)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 128.5 (2022)
• Iraq — 35.2 (2022)
• Israel — 0.75 (2021)
• Jordan

More environment data for IBRD only

• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 12.53% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 25.59% (2025)
• Rural population — 2.07 billion (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 41.35% (2025)
• Urban population — 2.94 billion (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 58.65% (2025)
• Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) — 83.73% (2024)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 127.05 million (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 60.04 million (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is IBRD only's renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters)?

26,770 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 20.93% from 22,138 in 1961 (0.31% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26,770 in 2006 and the lowest 22,138 in 1961.

Is the latest change in renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters) unusual for IBRD only?

In 2022, IBRD only's renewable internal freshwater resources, total (billion cubic meters) did not change 0% on 2021 (from 26,770 to 26,770). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2021), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 3.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.H2O.INTR.K3, 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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