The charts below represent the proportion of water used for different purposes in six areas of the world.
Overall, the pie chart for Central Asia illustrates the largest amount of water used for agricultural purposes, while Europe contributes the greatest amount of water for industrial use. South America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa show a much more uneven distribution, with agricultural use being a significant outlier. In contrast, North America and Europe are relatively balanced across types of use.
Regarding agricultural use, Central Asia uses the most water at 88%, while industrial and domestic uses account for 5% and 7%, respectively. In Africa, agricultural water use is 84%, followed by domestic use at 9% and industrial use at 7%. However, Southeast Asia and South America show slightly lower proportions among these four regions, with agricultural use at 81% and 71%, and industrial use at 12% and 10%. The remaining percentages are allocated to domestic use, respectively.
In terms of Europe, industrial water use accounts for the largest percentage at 53%, leaving 32% for agricultural use and 15% for domestic use. Likewise, North America consumes 48% of its water for industrial use, while agricultural and domestic uses account for 39% and 13%, respectively.