The charts illustrate the distribution of water consumption for industrial, agricultural, and domestic purposes across six regions of the world.
Overall, it is clear that agricultural use accounts for the overwhelming majority of water consumption in Africa, Central Asia, South America, and South East Asia, whereas industrial use dominates in North America and Europe.
In Africa and Central Asia, agriculture represents 84% and 88% of total water usage respectively, with domestic and industrial needs forming only small proportions. A similar trend is seen in South East Asia and South America, where agricultural demand stands at 81% and 71% respectively. By contrast, in these two regions, industrial use remains below 12%, and household consumption does not exceed one fifth.
In sharp contrast, Europe and North America allocate most of their water to industry, accounting for 53% and 48% respectively. Nevertheless, agriculture still plays a substantial role in North America (39%), while in Europe domestic use is comparatively higher, at 15%. This highlights distinct regional patterns, with agriculture being the primary consumer in developing regions and industry dominating in more advanced economies.