The line graph illustrates how much water was used by agriculture, industry and households in one country between 1980 and 2020, in billion cubic metres.
Overall, agriculture was the largest user throughout, although its consumption fell in the later years. Industry and household use both rose over the period, and household demand was still increasing at the end.
Agricultural consumption started at 210 billion cubic metres in 1980 and grew to a peak of 250 billion in 2000. It then declined gradually, falling to 230 billion in 2010 and 200 billion in 2020, which was slightly below its original level.
Industrial use rose more steeply than agricultural use at first, from 60 billion cubic metres in 1980 to 120 billion in 2000 and 138 billion in 2005. It reached a high of 152 billion in 2015, and then eased to 150 billion in 2020. This was two and a half times the 1980 figure.
Household consumption was the lowest of the three categories, yet it was the only one to grow without interruption. It increased from 40 billion cubic metres in 1980 to 70 billion in 2000 and 90 billion in 2010, before finishing at 110 billion in 2020.