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Central and Southern Asia

Countries (and areas) in the region

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Land

  • Total area: --- 
  • Land area: 10,333,490 km2 (2020) 
  • Land use by sector: 59% agriculture, 11% forest and 30% other (2018 - 2020)

People

  • Total population: 2,086,355,499 people (2022)
  • Population density: 336 people per km2 (2020)
  • Urbanisation: 36 % lives in urban areas and 61 % lives in rural areas (2020)

Economy

  • Total GDP: 12,743,081,635,366 USD per year (2019 - 2020)
  • GDP per capita: 6,108 USD per year (2019 - 2020)
  • Value added by sector: 16% from agriculture, 50% from services and 27% from industry (2019 - 2022)
The above data are estimates based on the latest available data for all countries (and areas) in the region. The estimates are not adjusted for potentially missing or outdated country (and area) data.
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SDG 6 snapshot Central and Southern Asia

  • Drinking water

    68 % of the population in Central and Southern Asia uses a safely managed drinking water service (SDG indicator 6.1.1, 2022)

  • Sanitation

    51 % of the population in Central and Southern Asia uses a safely managed sanitation service (SDG indicator 6.2.1a, 2022)

  • Hygiene

    76 % of the population in Central and Southern Asia has a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home (SDG indicator 6.2.1b, 2022)

  • Wastewater

    24 % of domestic wastewater in Central and Southern Asia is safely treated (SDG indicator 6.3.1, 2022)

  • Water quality

    33 % of monitored water bodies in Central and Southern Asia has good ambient water quality (SDG indicator 6.3.2, 2023)

  • Efficiency

    3 $/m<sup>3</sup> is the value added from the use of water by people and the economy in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.4.1, 2021)

  • Water stress

    75 % of the renewable water resources in Central and Southern Asia is being withdrawn, after taking into account environmental flow requirements (SDG indicator 6.4.2, 2021)

  • Water management

    55 % is the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.5.1, 2023) 

  • Transboundary

    --- % of transboundary basin area has an operational arrangement for water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2, 2023)

  • Ecosystems

    27 % of the water basins in Central and Southern Asia is experiencing rapid changes in the area covered by surface waters (SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1, 2020)

  • Cooperation

    1436 m$ is the amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Central and Southern Asia in 2022 (SDG indicator 6.a.1)

  • Participation

    + is the average number of sub-sectors (out of 6) with a high level of participation by communities in Central and Southern Asia (SDG indicator 6.b.1, 2021)

Drinking water

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Sanitation and hygiene

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in Central and Southern Asia, by service level and location (2022)

Water quality and wastewater

6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated  > Domestic in Central and Southern Asia (2023)

6.3.2 Level 1 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in Central and Southern Asia (2023)

Water use and scarcity

Water resources and withdrawal in Central and Southern Asia, total and per capita

Renewable water resources, regional average: 2,032 m3 per capita (2020)
Water withdrawal, regional average: 608 m3 per capita (2020)
Renewable water resources, water withdrawal and environmental flow requirements for all reporting countries (and areas) in the region ( - 2020):    

6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in Central and Southern Asia, change over time

6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time

Water-use efficiency and its components, by sector, for all reporting countries (and areas) in Central and Southern Asia (2021)

Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).

Water resources management

6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time, by dimension

Degree of IWRM implementation (0-100): Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Central and Southern Asia, progress over time, by component

Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)

International cooperation and capacity-building

6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance received by Central and Southern Asia, by country (and area) and over time

Annual expenditure for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in Central and Southern Asia, per capita and by funding source

Community participation

6.b.1 Number of countries (or areas) with clearly defined Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities and with a high Level of participation by users/communities in Central and Southern Asia (2017-2021)

6.b.1 Procedures in law or policy for participation by users/communities in countries (and areas) in Central and Southern Asia (2017-2021)

6.b.1 Level of participation by users/communities in countries (and areas) in Central and Southern Asia ()