The pie charts illustrate the percentage of water utilized for three purposes—industrial, agricultural, and domestic—across six regions of the world.
Overall, agriculture dominates water consumption in four regions—Africa, Central Asia, South America, and Southeast Asia—while industrial use is the primary sector in Europe and North America. Domestic use accounts for the smallest share in all regions.
In Africa and Central Asia, the overwhelming majority of water is used for agriculture, constituting 84% and 88%, respectively. Similarly, Southeast Asia and South America report high agricultural usage, at 81% and 71%, respectively. In contrast, domestic consumption is limited in these regions, ranging from 7% to 10%, and industrial use remains minimal, between 5% and 12%.
In Europe and North America, industrial water use is the most significant, accounting for 53% and 48%, respectively. Both regions allocate smaller portions to agriculture, at 32% in Europe and 39% in North America. Notably, domestic use is relatively higher in these two areas compared to others, with North America at 13% and Europe at 15%.
In summary, water usage patterns vary considerably across regions, with agriculture prevailing in most areas, except for Europe and North America, where industrial usage takes precedence.