Water use within the Dutch economy; Environmental accounts

Changed on: 11/04/2025 06:30

Water use within the Dutch economy; Environmental accounts
Waterusers	Periods	Tap water Total use of tap water (mln m3)	Tap water Use of drinking water (mln m3)	Tap water Use of industrial water (mln m3)	Tap water Use of industrial water for cooling (mln m3)	Tap water Other use of industrial water (mln m3)	Groundwater Total use of groundwater (mln m3)	Groundwater Use of groundwater for cooling (mln m3)	Groundwater Other use of groundwater (mln m3)	Surface water Total use of surface water (mln m3)	Surface water Total use of fresh surface water (mln m3)
Total Dutch economy	2023*	.	1,093.4	.	.	.	1,011.8	40.1	971.7	11,739.8	6,355.8
Private households	2023*	.	777.9	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
A-U All economic activities	2023*	.	315.5	.	.	.	1,011.8	40.1	971.7	11,739.8	6,355.8
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing	2023*	.	45.9	.	.	.	114.5	0.0	114.5	52.9	52.9
B Mining and quarrying	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	36.3	2.1
C Manufacturing	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	98.5	38.5	60.0	2,722.4	2,006.8
10 Manufacture of food products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	18.6	4.1	14.5	124.7	117.4
11 Manufacture of beverages	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	17.0	1.2	15.8	0.0	0.0
12 Manufacture of tobacco products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
13 Manufacture of textiles	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	1.2	0.1	1.1	4.1	4.1
14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.4	0.0	0.4	0.0	0.0
16 Manufacture of wood products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
17 Manufacture of paper	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	13.3	0.0	13.3	33.9	33.9
18 Printing and reproduction	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.1	0.1
19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.0	0.0	0.0	454.8	444.2
20 Manufacture of chemicals	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	3.7	1.4	2.3	1,932.2	1,391.2
21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	5.3	4.1	1.2	0.0	0.0
22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	8.6	8.1	0.5	3.9	3.9
23 Manufacture of building materials	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	4.6	2.1	2.5	1.7	1.7
24 Manufacture of basic metals	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	16.4	12.3	4.1	164.1	7.4
25 Manufacture of metal products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	3.6	1.1	2.5	0.7	0.7
26 Manufacture of electronic products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	3.9	3.2	0.7	0.1	0.1
27 Manufacture of electric equipment	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.2
28 Manufacture of machinery n.e.c.	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.9	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.6
29 Manufacture of cars and trailers	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.1	0.0	1.0	1.0
30 Manufacture of other transport	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.1
31 Manufacture of furniture	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1
32 Manufacture of other products	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1
33 Repair and installation of machinery	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0
D Energy supply	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	3.1	0.0	3.1	7,568.9	2,934.7
E Water supply and waste management	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	795.6	1.6	794.0	1,359.3	1,359.3
36 Water collection and distribution	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	792.4	0.0	792.4	467.0	467.0
37 Sewerage	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.4	0.4
38 Waste collection and treatment	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	3.1	1.6	1.5	891.9	891.9
39 Remediation, other waste management	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
F Construction	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
G Wholesale and retail trade	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
H Transportation and storage	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
I Accommodation and food serving	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
J Information and communication	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
K Financial institutions	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
L Renting, buying, selling real estate	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
M Other specialised business services	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
N Renting and other business support	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
O Public administration and services	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
P Education	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Q Health and social work activities	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
R Culture, sports and recreation	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
S Other service activities	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
T Activities of households	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
U Extraterritorial organisations	2023*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Source: CBS.

Explanation of symbols

Table explanation

This table presents the water accounts, being part of the environmental accounts compiled by Statistics Netherlands annually. This Water Accounting table includes the (physical) water use by the Dutch economy. A distinction is made between the use of tap water, use and abstraction (withdrawal) of groundwater and of surface water. The water used is allocated to the industries and households. Alternatively, tables selections can be made that show break down by economic activity (including households), by water type and annual use. Values are shown in million cubic meters of water (mln m³).

With tap water, a distinction is made between tap water of drinking water quality and industrial water. Industrial water is tap water with a less quality than drinking water, or sometimes with a better quality, like demineralized water. This industrial water is mainly used by the industry and electricity producers. For surface water a distinction is made between fresh surface water and seawater. Within all water types (except drinking water) a distinction is made between use for cooling and use for other purposes. The distinction between use for cooling and use for other purposes is recently added from 2022. Therefore, the trend between 2022 and 2023 can be volatile. The data are derived from a diverse set of sources, more about those sources can be found in chapter 4.

Data in the environmental accounts directly correspond to the economic data in the national accounts, that allows assessment of the impact of the economic activities of the Netherlands for the use of water taken from the natural environment in quantitative terms. From the water accounts bills, environmental indicators can be derived. As an example the water use intensity for the different types can be determined for the Netherlands as a whole or for the break down by industry.

Data available from: 2003

Status of the figures:
The data for the respective years in the full time series in this table are final and the last three years are provisional. The entire time series from 2003 onwards, if necessary, is to be adjusted to reflect the updated source information. Part of the tapwater (drinking water and industrial water) data is not yet available for the year 2022 and 2023. The missing values are specified as dots and will be updated in the next year in 2026. The whole time series will be updated in 2026 due to improved data sources and improvements in the time series.

Changes as of April 2025:
Figures for 2023 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
The next publication will be in September 2026.

Description topics

Tap water

Tap water is purified or treated groundwater or surface water and transported through a network of pipes. Tap water can be either of drinking water quality (drinking water) or can be industrial water, having a lesser or better quality than drinking water.

Total use of tap water: Total tap water is the summation of drinking water and industrial water.

Use of drinking water: Drinking water is received and produced by the water supply companies. This is either purified groundwater or surface water being transported through a network of pipes or (tap) water network.

Use of industrial water: Industrial water is of lesser or better quality than drinking water.

Use of industrial water for cooling: Use of industrial water for cooling purposes.

Other use of industrial water: Use of industrial water for purposes other than cooling.

Groundwater

Use of water pumped or otherwise abstracted from underground formations. This may be fresh water, but can also be brackish or salt water.

Total use of groundwater: Use of water pumped or otherwise abstracted from underground formations. This may be fresh water, but can also be brackish or salt water.

Use of groundwater for cooling: Use of abstracted groundwater for cooling purposes.

Other use of groundwater: Use of abstracted groundwater for purposes other than cooling.

Surface water

Use of water abstracted from inland waters such as rivers, lakes, canals (except for groundwater), transitional waters, coastal waters, and, in respect of the chemical status, also should include territorial waters (i.e. the sea).

Total use of surface water: Use of water abstracted from inland waters such as rivers, lakes, canals (except for groundwater), transitional waters, coastal waters, and, in respect of the chemical status, also should include territorial waters (i.e. the sea).

Total use of fresh surface water: Use of fresh surface water such as rivers and lakes.