What are the countries with the highest water consumption? Colombia tops the list

The world population has experienced exponential growth. According to data from Google’s open knowledge graph, Datacommons, by 2022 it was estimated that there would be a population of approximately 7,950,946,801 people globally. This increase has led to a significant increase in the consumption of natural resources, including water.

The combination of years of insufficient rainfall, prolonged dry periods and rising temperatures has put significant pressure on an already overstretched water system. This has led to a constant struggle to meet the growing demand for water in the region.

In Mexico City, the shortage of drinking water has become a critical challenge that demands immediate attention. With more than 22 million people depending on this vital resource, the water crisis is a palpable reality driven by a number of complex factors ranging from geographic limitations to infrastructure issues.

The most recent data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveal that water consumption per person in Mexico reached around 697,000 liters in 2021.
Although this figure has remained relatively stable in the last two decades, Mexico continues to be one of the main consumers of water globally.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) highlights that almost One third of the world’s water resources are found in South America, where countries such as Colombia and Peru show a significant amount of water.

However, surprisingly, these same countries also record some of the highest consumption rates at 2 million liters (Colombia) and 1.7 million liters (Peru) per person, figures that considerably exceed those of Mexico.

In this context it is important to understand that water, far from being an unlimited resource, is vulnerable to environmental and climatic pressures. A study carried out by the World Resources Institute (WRI) highlights that the majority of countries Latin Americans face a medium risk of vulnerability to drought, which highlights the urgency of addressing water management and conservation effectively.

According to the latest report from the online statistics portal Statista, in 2021, countries like Colombia, Peru and Greece They top the list of those that consume the most water per head:

Statesman

In addition to covering basic personal and domestic hygiene needs, water also plays a crucial role in industry, where its use covers a wide range of activities, from manufacturing to energy generation.