Charted: Share of Freshwater Resources by Country

Marcus Lu
2025-03-22 08:13:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

Charted: Share of Freshwater Resources by Country

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Freshwater is one of the world’s most vital resources, but its distribution is far from even. While some countries are rich in lakes, rivers, and glaciers, others face extreme scarcity.

This infographic breaks down global renewable freshwater resources by country, based on data from the World Bank.

Data and Highlights

The data we used to create this infographic is listed below.

Country	Billion cubic meters	% of Total
Brazil	5,661	13.2
Russia	4,312	10.1
Canada	2,850	6.7
U.S.	2,818	6.6
China	2,813	6.6
Colombia	2,145	5.0
Indonesia	2,019	4.7
Peru	1,641	3.8
India	1,446	3.4
Myanmar	1,003	2.3
DR Congo	900	2.1
Chile	885	2.1
Venezuela	805	1.9
Papua New Guinea	801	1.9
Malaysia	580	1.4
Australia	492	1.1
Philippines	479	1.1
Ecuador	442	1.0
Japan	430	1.0
Mexico	409	1.0
Other	9,875	23.1

It’s estimated that just 2.5% of the planet’s water is freshwater, most of which is found in glaciers, ice caps, and underground. Easily accessible sources like rivers and lakes make up an even smaller percentage.

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the top five countries in this graphic.

Brazil – 13% of Global Freshwater

Brazil holds the largest share of the world’s renewable freshwater thanks to the Amazon Basin, which accounts for roughly one-fifth of global river flow.

The basin contains 60% of the world’s rainforests and harbors 10% of the planet’s known forms of life.

Russia – 10% of Global Freshwater

Russia’s freshwater resources are concentrated in its thousands of rivers and lakes, including Lake Baikal, which holds 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater alone.

Canada – 7% of Global Freshwater

Canada has over two million lakes, including sharing the Great Lakes which contain roughly 84% of North America’s surface freshwater.

This, in addition to Canada’s other natural resources, is one major reason behind President Donald Trump’s desire to bring in Canada as the 51st state.

United States – 7% of Global Freshwater

The U.S. has significant freshwater resources, with major river systems like the Mississippi, Colorado, and Columbia supplying millions of people with water.

However, water scarcity is an increasing concern, particularly in the Southwest where aquifers are being depleted faster than they can recharge.

China – 7% of Global Freshwater

China’s freshwater supply is vast but unevenly distributed, with the south receiving far more rainfall than the arid north. The Yangtze River is the country’s lifeline, supporting agriculture, industry, and over 400 million people.

But water is also a rising source of geopolitical conflict, where countries downstream of rivers originating in China are fighting for control of their flow.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed this infographic, check out Share of the World’s Forests by Country.

The post Charted: Share of Freshwater Resources by Country appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

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