Which countries have less access to water and which countries consume more?

(CNN Spanish) — The world is facing a water crisis, a vital resource for society that is worryingly depleting and, although having access to it is a human right, the reality is that it is not guaranteed: 4 billion people experience severe shortages of water for at least one month a year, according to the latest data from UNICEF.

This scarcity is due, in part, to climate change that has exacerbated unpredictable rains, unprecedented floods, and severe droughts that directly impact people’s access to drinking water, according to the UN. It is, taking into account that less than 1% of all the water on Earth is fit for human consumption.

But the truly worrying data is that by 2030, within just seven years, some 700 million people could be displaced by water scarcity, a problem that is increasingly visible in various regions of the world such as Africa or the Middle East.

The lack of access to drinking water not only has to do with climatic disasters, but also has an influence on public administration in its management and distribution and the lack of infrastructure to treat it, according to UNICEF.

Within the framework of World Water Day and in the midst of this panorama, you may be wondering which countries have less access to water and which countries consume the most. Here, the answers:

The 10 countries with the least access to water in the world

In 2018, Eritrea, a country of more than 6 million inhabitants located in eastern Africa, it was among the 10 countries with the least access to water in the world according to the report of Water Aid, a non-governmental organization, focused on water, its sanitation and hygiene. In that year, only 19% of its population had access to drinking water close to home.

Next on the list is Papua New Guinea, where only 37% have access. Two more countries in Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia, rank third and fourth. Chad, Nigeria and Mozambique, also in Africa, complete the list:

1. Eritrean 19%
2. Papua New Guinea 37%
3. Ugandan 38%
4. Ethiopia 39%
5. Democratic Republic of the Congo* 39%
6. Somalia 40%
7. Angola 41%
8. Chad 43%
9. Nigerian 46%
10. Mozambique 47%

And those who consume the most?

With the United States in the lead, these are the countries that consume the most water per capita in the world, according to the United Nations Program for Human Settlements.

1. 1. United States: 575 liters average daily consumed per capita
   2. Australia: 493
   3. Italy: 386
   4. Japan: 374
   5. Mexico: 366
   6. Spain: 366
   7. Norway: 301

With information from Frederik Pleitgen, Claudia Otto, Angela Dewan, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Riaan Marais