Water
Water Stress by Country 2025
Country | Water Stress Rank 2023↑ | Total Score 2023 | Baseline Water Stress 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Kuwait | 1st | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Cyprus | 2nd | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Oman | 3rd | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Qatar | 4th | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Bahrain | 5th | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Lebanon | 6th | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | United Arab Emirates | 7th | 5 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Saudi Arabia | 8th | 4.98 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Israel | 9th | 4.94 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Egypt | 10th | 4.85 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Libya | 11th | 4.81 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Yemen | 12th | 4.69 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Botswana | 13th | 4.66 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Iran | 14th | 4.65 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Jordan | 15th | 4.62 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Chile | 16th | 4.47 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | San Marino | 17th | 4.45 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Belgium | 18th | 4.41 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Greece | 19th | 4.34 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Tunisia | 20th | 4.28 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Namibia | 21st | 4.18 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | South Africa | 22nd | 4.17 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Iraq | 23rd | 4.15 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | India | 24th | 4.11 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Syria | 25th | 4.01 | 5 - Extremely High (>80%) |
 | Mexico | 26th | 4 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Morocco | 27th | 3.99 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Eritrea | 28th | 3.94 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Spain | 29th | 3.94 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Algeria | 30th | 3.87 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Pakistan | 31st | 3.79 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Peru | 32nd | 3.74 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Turkmenistan | 33rd | 3.74 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Uzbekistan | 34th | 3.63 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Thailand | 35th | 3.62 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Andorra | 36th | 3.54 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Niger | 37th | 3.47 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Albania | 38th | 3.47 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Turkey | 39th | 3.39 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Afghanistan | 40th | 3.37 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Italy | 41st | 3.34 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Kyrgyzstan | 42nd | 3.28 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Portugal | 43rd | 3.26 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Djibouti | 44th | 3.18 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Nepal | 45th | 3.18 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Mongolia | 46th | 3.13 | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
 | Armenia | 48th | 2.99 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Lesotho | 49th | 2.95 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Luxembourg | 50th | 2.93 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Australia | 51st | 2.91 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | China | 52nd | 2.8 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Mauritania | 53rd | 2.73 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Guyana | 54th | 2.7 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Indonesia | 55th | 2.67 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Bangladesh | 56th | 2.66 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | United States | 57th | 2.6 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Kazakhstan | 58th | 2.51 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Azerbaijan | 59th | 2.47 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | South Korea | 60th | 2.38 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Sri Lanka | 61st | 2.36 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Tajikistan | 62nd | 2.34 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | North Korea | 63rd | 2.32 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Senegal | 64th | 2.22 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Zimbabwe | 65th | 2.17 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Lithuania | 66th | 2.14 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Myanmar | 67th | 2.13 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Vietnam | 68th | 2.11 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Germany | 69th | 2.04 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Philippines | 70th | 2.03 | 3 - Medium-High (20%-40%) |
 | Japan | 71st | 1.97 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | El Salvador | 72nd | 1.95 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | France | 73rd | 1.92 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Tanzania | 74th | 1.91 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Cambodia | 75th | 1.87 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Czechia | 76th | 1.84 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Argentina | 77th | 1.83 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Uruguay | 78th | 1.83 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Venezuela | 79th | 1.82 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Timor-Leste | 80th | 1.77 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Somalia | 81st | 1.67 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Suriname | 82nd | 1.67 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Poland | 83rd | 1.66 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Burkina Faso | 84th | 1.65 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Cuba | 85th | 1.65 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Slovakia | 86th | 1.62 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Dominican Republic | 87th | 1.6 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Haiti | 88th | 1.6 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Netherlands | 89th | 1.58 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Sudan | 90th | 1.46 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Bulgaria | 91st | 1.46 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | South Sudan | 92nd | 1.39 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Ukraine | 93rd | 1.37 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | United Kingdom | 94th | 1.3 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Moldova | 95th | 1.26 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Serbia | 96th | 1.24 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Canada | 97th | 1.23 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Estonia | 98th | 1.22 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Romania | 99th | 1.19 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Belarus | 100th | 1.18 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Russia | 101st | 1.17 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Angola | 102nd | 1.13 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Brazil | 103rd | 1.04 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Malaysia | 104th | 1.03 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Guatemala | 105th | 1.03 | 2 - Low-Medium (10%-20%) |
 | Ethiopia | 106th | 0.96 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Denmark | 107th | 0.95 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Georgia | 108th | 0.93 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Madagascar | 109th | 0.9 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Chad | 110th | 0.85 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Zambia | 111th | 0.85 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Finland | 112th | 0.81 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Liechtenstein | 113th | 0.81 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Nigeria | 114th | 0.8 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Kenya | 115th | 0.79 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Sweden | 116th | 0.78 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Malawi | 117th | 0.75 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Panama | 118th | 0.75 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Laos | 119th | 0.74 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Montenegro | 120th | 0.72 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Mali | 121st | 0.68 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Ecuador | 122nd | 0.66 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Costa Rica | 123rd | 0.65 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Latvia | 124th | 0.57 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Slovenia | 125th | 0.53 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Colombia | 126th | 0.5 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Hungary | 127th | 0.43 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Switzerland | 128th | 0.41 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 129th | 0.4 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Bhutan | 130th | 0.37 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Mozambique | 131st | 0.37 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Ireland | 132nd | 0.36 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Guinea | 133rd | 0.36 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Eswatini | 134th | 0.31 | |
 | Guinea-Bissau | 135th | 0.31 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Austria | 136th | 0.26 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Nicaragua | 137th | 0.21 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Uganda | 138th | 0.2 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Norway | 139th | 0.19 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Croatia | 140th | 0.17 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Bolivia | 141st | 0.16 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Honduras | 142nd | 0.11 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Ghana | 143rd | 0.11 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Belize | 144th | 0.07 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | New Zealand | 145th | 0.05 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Gambia | 146th | 0.02 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Republic of the Congo | 147th | 0.01 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Cameroon | 148th | 0.01 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | DR Congo | 149th | 0.01 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Central African Republic | 150th | 0.01 | 1 - Low (<10%) |
 | Benin | 151st | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Togo | 152nd | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Paraguay | 153rd | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Gabon | 154th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Sierra Leone | 155th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Rwanda | 156th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Ivory Coast | 157th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Brunei | 158th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Burundi | 159th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Jamaica | 160th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Liberia | 161st | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Equatorial Guinea | 162nd | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Iceland | 163rd | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | Papua New Guinea | 164th | 1 - Low (<10%) | |
 | North Macedonia | 4 - High (40%-80%) |
- Water stress scores range from 0.00 (least stressed) to 5.00 (most stressed).
- Conversely, 2023 water stress rankings range from 1 (most stressed) to 164 (least stressed).
- From World Resources Institute: Baseline water stress measures the ratio of total water withdrawals to available renewable water supplies. Water withdrawals include domestic, industrial, irrigation and livestock consumptive and non-consumptive uses. Available renewable water supplies include surface and groundwater supplies and considers the impact of upstream consumptive water users and large dams on downstream water availability. Higher water stress values indicate more competition among users.
1. Kuwait
Kuwait ranks as #1 in the world according to the Water Stress Rank 2023. Little water is naturally available in Kuwait, leading to extreme water stress in this country. About 99% of the freshwater pouring into the country comes from desalination plants. With the construction of the plants, freshwater sources can help sustain households and agriculture throughout the country.
2. Cyprus
Cyprus holds the #2 spot on the Water Stress Rank 2023, and it’s not hard to see why. As a small island with hot, dry summers and limited rainfall, fresh water is always in short supply. To keep up with demand—from both locals and tourists—Cyprus relies heavily on desalination plants and recycled water. These systems help keep taps running and crops growing, but the country still faces serious challenges, especially during long dry spells.
3. Oman
Oman comes in at #3—and it’s also no surprise. With scorching temperatures and hardly any rainfall, fresh water is incredibly limited. Most of the country gets its water from desalination, turning seawater into something drinkable. Oman has also made big strides in reusing water and improving irrigation to keep farms and communities running. Still, with growing demand and a dry climate, managing water remains one of the country’s biggest everyday challenges.
4. Qatar
Ranking #4, Qatar is also one of the most water-stressed countries. The need for water is extremely high here, while water availability is scarce. This country is a desert without a single river to help sustain the population. The growing population and economy saw water use almost double between 2006 and 2013. Since 2013, Qatar’s overall water consumption has remained high, driven by continued population growth, industrial activity, and urban development, particularly around Doha. Households require the most water, followed closely by agriculture.
5. Bahrain
Bahrain takes the #5 spot on the Water Stress Rank 2023, and like many countries in the Gulf, it faces serious challenges when it comes to water. With hardly any rainfall and very limited natural freshwater, the country depends almost entirely on desalination to keep up with daily needs. Years of overusing underground water sources have made the situation even tougher. Today, Bahrain is working on expanding its desalination capacity and reusing more water, but keeping up with demand in such a dry climate poses an ongoing difficulty.
6. Lebanon
Another desert country, Lebanon, has extremely high water stress, with households and industries needing more water than the country can supply. Much of the water stress in Lebanon is due to the inability to store water, water pollution, and chronic misuse of water. Both the agricultural industry and people at home are guilty of misusing the scarce water available in this country.
7. United Arab Emirates
The UAE comes in at #7, as living in the desert means fresh water is always in short supply. With almost no natural sources like rivers or lakes, the country depends on turning seawater into drinking water through desalination. As cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi keep growing, so does the demand for water—whether it’s for homes, businesses, or cooling in the extreme heat. The UAE has responded with high-tech desalination plants, water-saving campaigns, and recycling efforts, but keeping up with demand is still a big challenge.
8. Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, water has always been a major concern. With almost no rivers and soaring temperatures, natural freshwater is extremely limited. As do the other countries in the region, Saudi Arabia relies heavily on desalination to supply homes, farms, and fast-growing cities. Over the years, farming has also taken a toll on underground water sources, many of which are now running low. To help ease the pressure, Saudi Arabia is cutting back on water-intensive crops and investing in water recycling and more efficient desalination.
9. Israel
Another water-stressed country is Israel, which has the ninth-worst water stress in the world. Severe climate change and droughts have made this issue compounding since 2013. Just a few years ago, Israel’s official water authority reported the water sources, like rivers and lakes, were at 100-year lows. Desalination plants across the Mediterranean coast have helped provide 70-80% of the country’s drinking water.
10. Egypt
Rounding out the list for 2023, Egypt also has a big water problem. Nearly all of Egypt’s freshwater comes from the Nile River, which has supported life there for thousands of years. But with the population growing fast and more pressure on the river from upstream countries, that supply is getting stretched thin. And with outdated irrigation and pollution, the problem seems to only get worse. Egypt is now stepping up efforts to use water more efficiently, recycle more, and modernize how farms and cities manage this precious resource.
