The pie chart and table below show how water was used worldwide and in four selected countries in 2000.

The pie chart 1illustrates global water consumption by sectorillustrates the distribution of water use worldwide in 2000, while the table provides a breakdown of water consumption in four selected countries: China, India, 2New Zealand, and CanadaNew Zealand and Canada.

Overall, 3agriculture accounted for by far the largest share of water useagriculture was by far the largest consumer of water globally. However, the table reveals considerable variation among the four countries. While agriculture dominated water use in India and China, Canada was exceptional in its heavy reliance on industry, and New Zealand stood out for its high proportion of domestic consumption.

At the global level, agriculture accounted for 70% of total water use, 4more than triple the 22% recorded for industrywhich was more than three times the figure for industry, at 22%. Domestic use represented the smallest share, at just 8%.

Turning to individual countries, India recorded the highest proportion of water used for agriculture, at 92%. 5This figure was more than eleven times higher than Canada'sThis was 11.5 times that of Canada, where agriculture 6represented merely 8%made up only 8%. China’s agricultural water use stood at 69%, 7almost identical to the global figure of 70%which was close to the global average. By contrast, Canada allocated 80% of its water to industry, a figure far 8exceeding the other three nations combinedexceeding that of the other three countries. In New Zealand, domestic use accounted for the largest share, at 46%, followed closely by agriculture at 44%, while industry represented only 10%. India, meanwhile, had the lowest domestic water use, at just 5%.

In 9summaryconclusion, although agriculture was the 10dominant category of water consumptiondominant water user worldwide, the four countries displayed markedly different patterns, with Canada relying heavily on industry and New Zealand on domestic use.