Countries facing the highest water stress levels are predominantly located in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and rapidly urbanizing parts of the world. These countries have extremely high demand relative to very limited renewable water resources.worldpopulationreview+2
Top Water-Stressed Countries (2025)
| Country | Region | Stress Level (Score/Description) |
|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | Middle East | Extreme (Rank #1) worldpopulationreview+1 |
| Bahrain | Middle East | Extreme wri+1 |
| Qatar | Middle East | Extreme wri+2 |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Extreme activesustainability+1 |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Extreme activesustainability+1 |
| Oman | Middle East | Extreme wri+1 |
| Lebanon | Middle East | Extreme wri+2 |
| Israel | Middle East | Extreme activesustainability+1 |
| Iran | Middle East | Extreme activesustainability+1 |
| Jordan | Middle East | Extreme activesustainability |
| Cyprus | Mediterranean | Extreme wri+2 |
| India | South Asia | Severe, especially northwest states activesustainability+3 |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Severe activesustainability+2 |
| Turkmenistan | Central Asia | Extreme activesustainability |
| Egypt | North Africa | High statista+1 |
| Algeria | North Africa | High statista |
| Morocco | North Africa | High reliefweb+1 |
| Spain | Southern Europe | High, risingreliefweb+2 |
| Turkey | Eurasia | High reliefweb+1 |
| South Africa | Africa | High unstats.un |
Other highly affected nations routinely include Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and urban centers in Mexico, Iraq, and western United States experiencing critical water stress.reliefweb+2
Key Patterns
The Middle East and North Africa top the global list, with some countries using up to 100% of their available water supply annually from desalination and imports.wri+2
South and Central Asia see high stress, driven by agricultural demands and climate change, with India, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan facing chronic shortages.activesustainability+1
Southern Europe (Spain, Cyprus, parts of Italy, Greece) and Mediterranean countries are increasingly experiencing recurrent drought and falling groundwater reserves.statista+1
Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Zimbabwe) and Latin America (Amazon basin, Chile) face acute stress, compounded by drought, rapid population growth, and poor water infrastructure.nature+2
Countries at the top of water stress rankings must often rely on costly desalination and strict rationing while also adapting to climate-driven declines in renewable water resources.worldpopulationreview+2
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/water-stress-by-country
- https://www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries
- https://activesustainability.com/water/ranking-countries-highest-water-stress
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097524/water-stress-levels-by-country/
- https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/global-water-access-and-quality
- https://www.statista.com/chart/26140/water-stress-projections-global/
- https://humannecessityfoundation.com/water-scarcity-in-2025/
- https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/goal-06/
- https://reliefweb.int/report/world/drought-hotspots-around-world-2023-2025
- https://wmo.int/media/news/global-drought-hotspots-report-highlights-human-and-economic-impacts
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/climate/day-zero-drought-water-scarcity
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63784-6
- https://www.rinnovabili.net/business/water-business/drought-hotspots-2025-countries-most-affected/
- https://www.concern.net/news/countries-with-water-stress-and-scarcity
- https://resourcewatch.org/data/explore/wat036rw1-Water-Stress-Country-Ranking
- https://ourworldindata.org/water-use-stress
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-world-most-water-stressed-121716387.html
- https://cwrrr.org/resources/analysis-reviews/aqueduct-global-water-stress-rankings/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250726234415.htm
- https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-scarcity
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