Turkmenistan: Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Turkmenistan's level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources did not change 0% on 2021 (from 135.21 to 135.21).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2021), the average change was +0.4% and a typical year strayed about 2.2% 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 4.8% in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 6.8% in 2018. 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 1.29 a year. A straight line explains 62% 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.

How it compares

In 2022, Turkmenistan had the 10th highest value of the 176 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 Turkmenistan in the 2022 ranking

• Yemen, Rep. — 6th of 176: 169.76
• Algeria — 7th of 176: 144.82
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 8th of 176: 141.17
• Bahrain — 10th of 176: 133.71
• Syrian Arab Republic — 11th of 176: 124.36
• Uzbekistan — 12th of 176: 123.03

What this measures

The level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources is the ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by all major sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. Main sectors, as defined by ISIC standards, include agriculture; forestry and fishing; manufacturing; electricity industry; and services. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity.

Limitations: Water withdrawal as a percentage of water resources is a good indicator of pressure on limited water resources, one of the most important natural resources. However, it only partially addresses the issues related to sustainable water management. Supplementary indicators that capture the multiple dimensions of water management would combine data on water demand management, behavioural changes with regard to water use and the availability of appropriate infrastructure, and measure progress in increasing the efficiency and sustainability of water use, in particular in relation to population and economic growth.

All 29 values

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in nearby economies

• Albania — 4.79 (2022)
• Armenia — 61.97 (2022)
• Austria — 8.68 (2022)
• Azerbaijan — 57.53 (2022)
• Belarus — 4.66 (2022)
• Belgium — 52.83 (2022)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 2.07 (2022)
• Bulgaria

More environment data for Turkmenistan

• Population in largest city — 941,130 (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 26.22% (2025)
• Rural population — 4.03 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 52.89% (2025)
• Urban population — 3.59 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 47.11% (2025)
• Rural population growth (annual %) — 1.61% (2025)
• Urban population growth (annual %) — 1.68% (2025)
• Agricultural land (sq. km) — 396,267 (2024)
• Surface area (sq. km) — 491,209 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Turkmenistan's level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources?

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

How has it changed since 1994?

It is up 10.75% from 122.09 in 1994 (0.37% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 148.67 in 2017 and the lowest 122.09 in 1994.

How does Turkmenistan rank?

10th highest of 176 economies with data for 2022.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ER.H2O.FWST.ZS, 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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