Dealing with issues such as declining freshwater availability, demand from growing populations, insufficient infrastructure, or flawed water governance can impact how easily a country's population can access water. A combination of multiple factors quickly makes problems with water security a lived reality.

As Visual Capitalist's Freny Fernandes illustrates below, a recent Global Water Security Report by the United Nations University assessed the water security of different countries across the world.

Methodology

This study assesses water security in countries by examining 10 different underlying components, ranging from water quality and sanitation to availability, resource stability, and climate-related risks.

Each component is given a score out of 10, with a nation's overall water security score calculated from the sum. Water security levels are assigned based on the overall scores:

75 and above is classified as "water secure"

65?74 is classified as "moderately secure"

41?64 indicates a country is "water insecure"

40 and below is considered "critically insecure"

Water Security Levels by Country

Water security remains a concern around the world, but is especially dire in regions like the Middle East and Africa, where 13 of the 23 nations in the critically insecure category are located.

In total, 113 countries are considered water insecure, including the world's two most populated, India and China. An additional 24 countries are considered critically water insecure, with the largest by population including Pakistan and Ethiopia