How much of the world’s water is used for agriculture

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70 percent


How much water does the agriculture industry use globally?

Globally we use approximately 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals for agriculture. However, this share varies significantly by country – as shown in the chart, which measures the percentage of total freshwater withdrawals used for agriculture.


Does agriculture use 20% of water?

Water in California is shared across three main sectors. Statewide, average water use is roughly 50% environmental, 40% agricultural, and 10% urban, although the percentage of water use by sector varies dramatically across regions and between wet and dry years.


What is the largest use of water?

Thermoelectric power and irrigation remained the two largest uses of water in 2015, and total withdrawals decreased for thermoelectric power but increased for irrigation.


How much water is used in agriculture per year?

As previously mentioned, 70% of the world’s water is used for agriculture annually. That’s over 2 quadrillion gallons of water, enough to cover the entire United States in 2 feet of water.

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