IEA/USGS global AI-related water withdrawal and consumption projection, including energy production and data-center operation
~570B L/yr (2023) → ~1.2T L/yr (2030)forecast
| Value kind | forecast — Forecasts are time-bound outlooks, not specifications; test decisions across plausible scenarios. |
|---|---|
| As of | IEA 2025; USGS 2026 synthesis |
| Source | U.S. Geological Survey (citing IEA 2025) · Globally, water withdrawal and consumption for AI use (including energy production and data center operation) is projected to double from nearly 570 billion liters per year in 2023 to nearly 1,200 billion liters per year by 2030. |
| Review | checking…review by 2026-10-16 · standard cadence |
| Recorded changes | last 2026-08-31 · 3 revisions tracked |
| Claim id | global-data-center-water-consumed-in-2025-1 |
Where the guide uses it
← Full numbers register — every date-stamped figure in the guide, with revision history.