The table illustrates the percentage of water used for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes in six countries in 2003.
Overall, water usage patterns varied significantly among the countries. While Canada and Australia allocated the highest proportion of water to domestic use, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and India used the majority of their water for agriculture.
In Canada, 63% of water was used for domestic purposes, followed by 32% for industrial use, and only 5% for agriculture. A similar trend was seen in Australia, where domestic usage was the highest at 65%, although agricultural use (33%) was notably more significant than in Canada.
In contrast, the United Kingdom devoted a substantial 90% of its water to agriculture, with only 5% each used for domestic and industrial purposes. Likewise, China and Japan used 87% and 82% of their water, respectively, for agriculture. Industrial use in Japan was relatively high at 8%, whereas domestic use was limited to 10%.
India had a more balanced distribution, using 66% of its water for agriculture, 19% for domestic use, and 15% for industrial purposes.