Does anybody know what the worldwide per capita water consumption is? (Annualy or daily)?

Question

Does anybody know what the worldwide per capita water consumption is? (Annualy or daily)?

Answer 1

I am sorry i do not... But does it matter. We are in a closed system what goes in must come out. :) Water is not lost. Just moved around.

Answer 2

Per capita water consumption varies from location to location. Due to environmental conditions, agriculture and various industries. In general, developed or western countries use a lot more water than developing  coutries.

I couldn’t find a global per capita water use statistic but here are some interesting and related stats:

On average, 40 litres of water are consumed per person per day. A Madagascan farmer consumes 10 litres, a Parisian 240 litres, and an American 600 litres. (CNRS 2004)

Global reserves of fresh water:

1950: 17,000 m3 per inhabitant

2005: 6,000 m3 per inhabitant

2025: 4,800 m3 per inhabitant?

(UNESCO, 2006)

Worldwide fresh water consumption multiplied by 6 during the 20th century, while the population tripled during the same period. (UNEP)

ImpStout

True, the water cycle is a closed system but water consumption *does* matter. Since precipitation is the only source of fresh water, water sources are steadily decreasing. Water demand already exceeds supply in many places. And due to the expanding human population, competition for water is growing such that many of the worlds major aquifers are becoming depleted. Although it’s true “what goes in must come out”, humanity and industry is taking water at a much higher rate than. We are consuming water at a higher rate than water sources and aquifers are able to re-charge, so it doesn’t make sense to be so nonchalant about water consumption.