Renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland
Iceland: Renewable freshwater resources per person was 445,023 cubic meters in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
445,023 cubic meters
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
1st
of 183 countries
All-time high
949,567 cubic meters
in 1961
All-time low
445,023 cubic meters
in 2022
Years of data
62
1961–2022
Renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland, 1961–2022
Source: AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in cubic meters.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 445,023 cubic meters for renewable freshwater resources per person in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 62 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland peaked at 949,567 cubic meters in 1961 and was at its lowest, 445,023 cubic meters, in 2022.
Iceland ranks 1st of 183 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland, year by year
| Year | cubic meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 949,567 cubic meters | — |
| 1962 | 932,130 cubic meters | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 915,687 cubic meters | -1.8% |
| 1964 | 899,552 cubic meters | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 884,100 cubic meters | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 869,254 cubic meters | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 855,342 cubic meters | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 843,723 cubic meters | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 835,919 cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 831,548 cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 824,850 cubic meters | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 812,864 cubic meters | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 800,690 cubic meters | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 789,930 cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 779,892 cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 772,187 cubic meters | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 766,460 cubic meters | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 760,500 cubic meters | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 753,095 cubic meters | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 745,163 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 736,712 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 726,931 cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 717,369 cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 709,780 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 704,211 cubic meters | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 699,071 cubic meters | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 691,453 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 680,708 cubic meters | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 672,330 cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 667,122 cubic meters | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 659,434 cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 651,199 cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 644,611 cubic meters | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 639,047 cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 635,590 cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 632,168 cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 627,010 cubic meters | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 620,332 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 612,875 cubic meters | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 604,541 cubic meters | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 596,558 cubic meters | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 591,257 cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 587,177 cubic meters | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 582,044 cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 572,904 cubic meters | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 559,612 cubic meters | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 545,631 cubic meters | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 535,578 cubic meters | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 533,754 cubic meters | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 534,522 cubic meters | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 532,892 cubic meters | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 530,064 cubic meters | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 525,074 cubic meters | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 519,265 cubic meters | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 513,882 cubic meters | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 506,799 cubic meters | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 495,050 cubic meters | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 481,967 cubic meters | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 471,485 cubic meters | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 463,894 cubic meters | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 456,351 cubic meters | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 445,023 cubic meters | -2.5% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 445,023 cubic meters is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,872 cubic meters, 154.9× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 445,023 cubic meters is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,152 cubic meters, 141.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 887,253 cubic meters | 835,919 cubic meters | 949,567 cubic meters | 9 |
| 1970s | 789,202 cubic meters | 753,095 cubic meters | 831,548 cubic meters | 10 |
| 1980s | 708,373 cubic meters | 672,330 cubic meters | 745,163 cubic meters | 10 |
| 1990s | 638,939 cubic meters | 612,875 cubic meters | 667,122 cubic meters | 10 |
| 2000s | 570,906 cubic meters | 533,754 cubic meters | 604,541 cubic meters | 10 |
| 2010s | 511,100 cubic meters | 471,485 cubic meters | 534,522 cubic meters | 10 |
| 2020s | 455,089 cubic meters | 445,023 cubic meters | 463,894 cubic meters | 3 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More energy & mining data for Iceland
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -4.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0002 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 9.0% (2025)
- Ores and metals imports 7.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland?
- Renewable freshwater resources per person in Iceland was 445,023 cubic meters in 2022, according to AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest renewable freshwater resources per person recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 949,567 cubic meters in 1961.
- What is the lowest renewable freshwater resources per person recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 445,023 cubic meters in 2022.
- How does Iceland rank for renewable freshwater resources per person?
- Iceland ranks 1st out of 183 countries with data for 2022.
- Is renewable freshwater resources per person rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from AQUASTAT - FAO's Global Information System on Water and Agriculture, FAO, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Renewable freshwater resources per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Renewable internal freshwater resources refers to the quantity of internal freshwater from inflowing river basins and recharging groundwater aquifers. This is measured in cubic meters per person per year.