Water stress
141.2%
Country Water Profile
Water Risk in Egypt
Egypt water profile: water stress, drinking water access, agricultural demand, drought exposure, and groundwater pressure.
Egypt faces structurally high pressure on water resources, shaped by demand intensity, agricultural use, and long-term drought risk.
Egypt faces structural water risk driven by 141.2% water stress, 79.2% agricultural water use, and an Extremely High Aqueduct water-risk category (>80%), indicating persistent pressure on national water resources despite 100.0% safely managed drinking water access.
Basic drinking water
100.0%
Agricultural water use
79.2%
Population
116.5M
Aqueduct category
Extremely High (>80%)
Key Takeaway
The main takeaway for Egypt
Egypt’s water-risk profile is defined by structural pressure rather than a temporary shortage. The country combines extremely high water stress (141.2%), heavy agricultural demand (79.2% of total water withdrawal), and an Extremely High Aqueduct water-risk category (>80%), showing that pressure on water resources is both deep and persistent. Even though safely managed drinking water access is reported at 100.0%, strong service coverage does not remove broader national vulnerability linked to scarcity, irrigation demand, and climate variability. Overall, Egypt stands out as a country where water risk is shaped by a long-term imbalance between supply and demand, making resilience highly dependent on water management, agricultural efficiency, and drought preparedness.
Key Indicators
What the main numbers say about Egypt
Water Stress
141.2%
Basic Drinking Water Access
100.0%
Agricultural Water Use
79.2%
Population
116.5M
What Stands Out
What the data highlights most clearly
Water stress remains structurally high
The latest public indicators show 141.2% water stress, suggesting that pressure is not just episodic but tied to long-term demand, supply limits, and wider resource management.
Agriculture dominates water demand
Agriculture accounts for 79.2% of total water withdrawal, making it the single most important driver of national water pressure and a key factor in long-term system strain.
Access and pressure tell different stories
Basic drinking water access reaches 100.0%, but high access does not remove underlying resource stress, because reliability, service quality, and regional differences can still remain significant.
Drought adds volatility
A drought exposure rating of NoData means climate variability remains an important part of the national risk picture and can turn existing pressure into sharper disruption during dry periods.
Overview
The overall country profile
Egypt combines a water stress level of 141.2% with agricultural water use at 79.2%, indicating sustained pressure on national water resources.
Basic drinking water access is 100.0%, while service quality and reliability can still vary below headline access figures.
Drought exposure is classified as NoData, while groundwater pressure is described as very high groundwater pressure. Together these factors can make water stress harder to manage across seasons and regions.
Water Data Snapshot
A quick reference table
These indicators show where water pressure comes from, how it affects access, and how each metric should be interpreted in context.
| Indicator | Value | Source | Year | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 116.5M | World Bank | 2024 | Shows the scale of demand that water systems must serve. |
| Water stress | 141.2% | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how much pressure water withdrawals place on available resources. |
| Basic drinking water access | 100.0% | WHO/UNICEF JMP | Shows how many people have at least basic drinking water access, but not full service quality on its own. | |
| Agricultural water use share | 79.2% | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how strongly national water demand is concentrated in agriculture. |
| Drought exposure | NoData | WRI Aqueduct | Baseline | Shows how strongly climate variability can intensify water supply pressure. |
| Groundwater pressure | Very high groundwater pressure | FAO AQUASTAT | 2022 | Shows how strongly the country depends on stressed groundwater resources. |
| Aqueduct water stress category | Extremely High (>80%) | WRI Aqueduct | Baseline | Shows WRI’s comparative risk category and should not be read as the same metric as FAO water stress %. |
| Derived water stress class | Extremely High | Derived from water stress % | Shows a simplified summary class based on the water stress percentage. |
What Is Driving the Crisis?
Main causes of water pressure in Egypt
Demand exceeds available water supply
Egypt’s water risk is fundamentally driven by a long-term imbalance between demand and available supply. The country operates under severe resource constraints, while population size, economic activity, and year-round water needs keep pressure high across the system. This makes Egypt’s water stress structural rather than temporary, with national demand remaining persistently high relative to renewable water availability.
Agriculture is the dominant source of water demand
Agriculture is central to Egypt’s water-risk profile because it accounts for 79.2% of total water withdrawal. When irrigation absorbs such a large share of national water use, it becomes one of the strongest drivers of long-term pressure on rivers, storage systems, and groundwater resources. This also means that improvements in agricultural efficiency can have an outsized effect on national water resilience.
Drought exposure amplifies existing water pressure
Egypt’s water risk is further intensified by an Extremely High Aqueduct water-risk category (>80%), which signals elevated vulnerability within an already water-constrained system. While climate variability is not the only driver of pressure, it can make shortages, seasonal stress, and planning challenges more difficult to manage when supply is already tight.
Groundwater use adds pressure in an already constrained system
In Egypt, groundwater matters because it provides additional support in a system already under severe water stress. When national demand remains high and agriculture absorbs most water use, groundwater can become an important buffer during periods of pressure. This increases its strategic value, but it also means groundwater pressure should be read as part of Egypt’s wider structural water-risk profile, not as an isolated issue.
Infrastructure efficiency shapes Egypt’s water resilience
Infrastructure is critical in Egypt because water risk depends not only on limited supply, but also on how effectively water is stored, transported, treated, and delivered across the system. In a country facing 141.2% water stress, infrastructure performance helps determine how strongly pressure is felt across households, agriculture, and other uses. Even with 100.0% safely managed drinking water access at the national level, long-term resilience still depends on efficient distribution, reliable delivery, and effective stress management.
Main Risk Factors
The strongest pressure points
These are the main forces shaping pressure on water systems in Egypt.
Agriculture
Agriculture is a major driver of water demand, accounting for 79.2% of total water withdrawal. This increases sensitivity to irrigation demand, rainfall variability, and seasonal shortages.
Groundwater
Groundwater pressure is very high, suggesting that withdrawals are placing severe strain on renewable groundwater resources.
Drought Variability
Drought exposure is not the dominant national risk signal, but interannual variability can still shape water conditions.
How the Water Crisis Shows Up
How pressure becomes visible
Water Stress
Water stress shows up through competing demand across agriculture, households, industry, and ecosystems.
Drinking Water Access
Drinking water pressure shows up through access, quality, reliability, and service differences between places and populations.
Drought and Variability
Drought and climate variability amplify water pressure by reducing supply reliability and increasing seasonal exposure.
Key Conclusions
What these numbers suggest
Water stress is a resource signal
With water stress at 141.2%, pressure on available water resources is high enough to shape the broader national water picture, not just isolated local shortages.
Access does not erase risk
Basic drinking water access at 100.0% does not remove underlying water risk, because service quality, reliability, and regional differences can still remain significant under high system pressure.
Agriculture is central to demand
Agricultural water use at 79.2% shows that farming remains the dominant driver of national water demand and a major source of long-term pressure on water systems.
Climate variability amplifies pressure
A drought exposure rating of NoData means climate variability can intensify existing stress and make dry periods more disruptive for supply and reliability.
Trend Over Time
How the longer picture looks
Summary: Egypt shows a persistent need to manage water demand, service resilience, and climate-related supply variability together.
Across public datasets, the overall picture is one of overlapping stress: demand pressures, uneven service outcomes, and climate-linked variability all contribute to the water risk profile.
Water stress
Egypt’s 141.2% water stress shows severe and persistent pressure on national water resources. This level suggests that demand remains extremely high relative to available renewable supply, pointing to a structural water-risk challenge rather than a temporary shortage.
Agricultural water use
Agriculture accounts for 79.2% of total water withdrawal in Egypt, making it the dominant source of water demand. This means irrigation plays a major role in shaping overall water pressure and long-term national vulnerability.
Drought exposure
Public data on drought exposure is currently marked as NoData in this profile. Even so, climate variability remains relevant in Egypt’s broader water-risk picture, especially in a system already under severe structural pressure.
What to Watch
The signals to keep an eye on
- Watch whether extremely high water stress remains structurally elevated over time. Egypt’s 141.2% water stress already points to severe pressure on available water resources, so any additional strain on supply or demand can quickly increase national vulnerability.
- Watch how agricultural water demand evolves, especially because agriculture accounts for 79.2% of total water withdrawal. Changes in irrigation efficiency, cropping intensity, or water-management practices could have a major effect on Egypt’s long-term water resilience.
- Watch how climate variability interacts with an already constrained water system. In Egypt, dry periods and wider climate pressure can intensify structural water stress and make shortages harder to manage when supply is already tight.
- Watch the gap between strong national drinking water access and wider system pressure. Egypt reports 100.0% safely managed drinking water access, but high service coverage does not remove broader risks linked to scarcity, agricultural demand, and long-term water balance.
What’s Happening in Egypt?
The story behind the data
Egypt faces overlapping water pressures from demand, infrastructure, and climate variability.
Public datasets point to pressure across water availability, drinking water service conditions, and sectoral demand.
This profile should be read as a comparative public-data overview rather than a single harmonized statistical series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about water risk in Egypt
Is Egypt facing a water crisis?
Yes. Egypt faces severe and persistent water pressure driven by extremely high water stress, heavy agricultural demand, and limited renewable water supply. With 141.2% water stress, 79.2% agricultural water use, and an Extremely High Aqueduct water-risk category (>80%), Egypt shows signs of structural water risk rather than a short-term supply shock.
What causes water stress in Egypt?
Egypt’s water stress is mainly caused by long-term demand exceeding available supply. Agriculture is the main driver, accounting for 79.2% of total water withdrawal. Population pressure and limited renewable water availability add further strain, keeping national water pressure consistently high.
Does everyone in Egypt have access to safe drinking water?
Egypt’s headline figure for safely managed drinking water is 100.0%, indicating very high national-level access. Still, national coverage figures should be interpreted carefully: they reflect broad service access, not identical quality, reliability, or local delivery in every setting. Strong drinking water access does not eliminate wider water-risk pressures across the country.
Why is agriculture so important in Egypt’s water risk?
Agriculture is central to Egypt’s water risk because it accounts for 79.2% of total water withdrawal, making it the largest source of water demand. When irrigation dominates national use at this scale, pressure on the water system remains high over time. That makes agriculture one of the clearest drivers of both current water stress and long-term vulnerability.
Sources
What powers this profile
Which source powers which metric
- Population: World Bank
- Water stress: FAO AQUASTAT
- Drinking water: WHO/UNICEF JMP
- Agriculture: FAO AQUASTAT
- Drought: WRI Aqueduct
- Groundwater: FAO AQUASTAT
Methodology
How to read the data
Short note: This profile combines public data sources covering water stress, drinking water access, agricultural water use, drought-related risk, and population.
This country profile combines World Bank API indicators with structured country feeds derived from JMP, AQUASTAT, and Aqueduct. Indicators come from different systems and years, so they should be interpreted together as a comparative public-data profile rather than a single harmonized statistical series.
Data confidence: Indicators may come from different years and sources and should be interpreted together.