Five Countries Hold 40% of the World's Freshwater Reservs

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21.08.2026 10:02The world's total renewable freshwater resources amount to 42.8 trillion cubic meters. At the same time, the distribution of water across the planet is extremely uneven: more than 40% of all resources are concentrated in just five states.

According to AQUASTAT data, Brazil is the leader in terms of freshwater volume. Its reserves are estimated at 5.661 trillion cubic meters, which accounts for 13.2% of the global total. The Amazon basin provides about 75% of this volume.Russia ranks second with reserves of 4.312 trillion cubic meters (10.1% of world resources), followed by Canada in third place with 2.850 trillion cubic meters. The top five also includes the USA and China. In addition, water volumes exceeding one trillion cubic meters have been recorded in Colombia, Indonesia, Peru, India, and Myanmar.The most acute freshwater scarcity is observed in the Middle East and Africa.

All Middle Eastern states account for about 1% of the world's renewable resources, while African countries account for approximately 9%.Biologist Andrey Voroshilov explains that renewable resources include not only groundwater but also surface runoff, which is replenished annually by precipitation. However, the high concentration of water in a few regions, combined with a general scarcity in others, poses risks to food security and biodiversity in arid zones.The presented data allows for an assessment of the global water balance but does not account for the availability of this water for actual use due to logistical challenges or pollution.