Agriculture Dominates Water Use, But Its Share Will Decline

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Water Withdrawals by Sector, 1987

Water use in agriculture is slated to increase as world food demand rises. Agriculture already accounts for about 70 percent of water consumption worldwide, and the United Nations projects a 50- to 100-percent increase in irrigation water by 2025. For more information see http://www.wri.org/trends/water.html.

Source: Data Table “Freshwater Resources and Withdrawals, 1970-98”, available in PDF format through http://www.wri.org/facts/data-tables.html.