Pie + bar — Global water use and domestic use per person

The pie chart breaks down global freshwater use by sector, while the bar chart shows how much water an average person uses at home each day in four regions.

Overall, agriculture dwarfs every other use of fresh water, taking seven litres in every ten worldwide, while household use — the smallest slice globally — varies enormously between regions: a North American uses almost twelve times as much water at home as an African.

Globally, 70 per cent of withdrawals go to agriculture, chiefly irrigation. Industry accounts for a further 19 per cent, leaving homes with just 11 per cent — and it is this smallest share that the bar chart examines in detail.

Within that domestic slice, the regional gaps are stark. The average North American runs through 555 litres a day, roughly double Europe''s 290 and well over double East Asia''s 235. Africa sits far below all three at only 47 litres — less than a tenth of the North American figure. Put another way, one day of domestic use in North America equals nearly a fortnight''s use in Africa, even though, at the global scale, all household consumption together remains a minor claim on the world''s fresh water.