Average water consumption: one person consumes a day
The average consumption of water is calculated from the direct and indirect water consumption. You can read about how consumption has developed and what we Germans need the most water for in this article.
Water: The average German consumption since 1990
The average consumption of water in German households has been falling for 30 years.
- In 1990 the average water consumption per citizen was 147 liters per day. Between 2007 and 2017, consumption fluctuated between 121 and 123 liters per person per day.
- In 2018, the value rose to an average of 127 liters of water . The hot and dry weather should be responsible for the increased demand in the last year.
- Per capita consumption has decreased over the past three decades due to technological innovations such as water-saving dishwashers and washing machines and toilet flushing. The rising water price should also help to reduce the consumption of tap water.
- Country comparison: American citizens consume an average of 295 liters of water per person per day. 162 liters of drinking water are used in Austria and 260 liters in Norway.
The water consumption is divided into these areas in the household
According to the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management eV (BDEW), the average drinking water consumption of households and small businesses in 2018 was broken down as follows:
- 36 percent for showering, bathing and personal hygiene
- 27 percent for toilet flushing
- 12 percent for washing machine
- 9 percent for small businesses
- 6 percent for dishwashing
- 6 percent for cleaning, car cleaning and gardening
- 4 percent for drinking and food preparation
Indirect water consumption
In addition to the average 127 liters of water per head and day that we actively consume, there is also indirect water consumption.
- Indirect water consumption is the amount of water that is required to produce products. This means both agricultural products and industrially manufactured products.
- In total, German citizens consume 4, 000 to 5, 000 liters of water per day, directly and indirectly.
Five simple tips on how to save water
With our tips, you can easily save water in the household. This will lower your water costs and, on top of that, protect the environment.
- Better shower rather than bathe. When bathing, use 150 to 200 liters of water. But you only need 30 to 80 liters of water to shower.
- Renew old cisterns in your household. In this way, you will save 50 percent water on toilet flushing in the future.
- Fix dripping taps to avoid wasting water. You can get new seals for little money.
- Do not wash dishes by hand under running water. They consume up to 150 liters of drinking water. Instead, put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, where they can be cleaned with a lot less water.
- When buying dishwashers and washing machines, make sure that the devices do not require much water. Tip: With washing machines, water consumption of up to 50 liters per load is considered economical. Water-saving dishwashers run at around 17 liters per wash.
Find out in the next article how much a liter of water costs in Germany.