Water Industry 2026

Top insights for Water Markets:

In its broadest sense, the global water and wastewater market totals more than $600 billion annually, a massive figure that comprises both capital and operating expenditures for the treatment and transportation of water by municipal, industrial, commercial, and residential users.

Agriculture is the leading user of fresh water worldwide, accounting for 70% of global and 24% of European water consumption.

As global food demand is predicted to double by 2050, it is estimated that global agricultural water demand will increase by 19%, of which 5% is water withdrawal.

Both water demand and the ensuing gap between water supply and water demand are growing due to population growth, higher living standards, climate change and the need to expand irrigated agriculture and industrial activities, leading to a potential decrease in fresh water availability.

Globally, the energy sector is responsible for 10 percent of global water withdrawal (excluding hydropower), mainly from the operation of thermal power plants that require large quantities of water, which will increase as energy demand rises.

Indeed, the amount of water intake for energy generation will increase by over 20%, and the level of water consumption for this use is expected to grow by 85% until 2035.

Overview per country:

• China: With a decrease of 0.4 percent over 2018, the total water consumption reached 599.1 billion cubic meters, of which water consumption for living purposes up by 1.9 percent, for industrial use down by 2.1 percent, for agricultural use down by 0.5 percent, and for ecological water supplement grew by 0.5 percent.
• Australia: In 2017-18, the value of Australia's water market were estimated to be $2.4 billion. Total consumption of water in Australia in 2015-16 was 16,132 gigalitres, of which 9,604 gigalitres was used by the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing industry and 2,014 gigalitres was used by the Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Services industry.
• South Africa: Consumption of water in South Africa is estimated at over 16 billion m3/year, with demand expected to increase significantly.
• EU: Despite the efforts of the European Union to increase water quality, the consumption of bottled water is expected to rise by more than 3.0% per year in the upcoming years.

Top view datapoints for Water Markets:

• Bottled Water Market Size Volume in the EU - 2010 to 2019
• Forecast: Bottled Water Market Size Volume in the EU - 2019 to 2023
• Water Utility Turnover in the EU27 (2020) - 2011 to 2019
• Forecast [COVID-19 updated]: Water Utility Turnover in the EU27 (2020) - 2019 to 2023