Cyprus had the highest rate in the Water Exploitation Index Plus (WEI+), a metric used to measure water scarcity, among EU countries in 2022. The country’s WEI+ stood at 71%, far exceeding the accepted threshold for severe water scarcity, which is set at 40%. This marks a significant increase since data collection began in 2000.

According to data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) shared by Eurostat ahead of World Water Day (March 22), the EU’s overall WEI+ stood at 5.8% in 2022—an increase of 0.9 percentage points since 2000, and the highest value recorded to date.

Cyprus, however, showed a more alarming trend. Its WEI+ increased from 59.5% in 2000 to 71.0% in 2022, reflecting a continued pattern of unsustainable freshwater use. The index has remained consistently high for Cyprus, reaching 76.7% as early as 2004, and generally exceeding 70% in most years on record.

The WEI+ measures total water consumption as a percentage of the renewable freshwater resources available in a given region and time period. Values above 20% are typically considered an indication of water scarcity, while those exceeding 40% denote severe water stress.

In 2022, Malta and Romania followed Cyprus with WEI+ values of 34.1% and 21.0%, respectively. Greece (13.8%), Portugal (10.1%), and Spain (8.8%) also registered relatively high values, although still below the 20% threshold. These countries remained above most EU members but did not reach levels classified as water-stressed.

However, national annual averages may not fully reflect the severity of water scarcity in certain regions or during specific periods. In southern Europe, for instance, water scarcity often intensifies in the spring and summer months due to increased agricultural demands, public water supply needs, and tourism activity.

In contrast, countries such as Latvia, Croatia, Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Finland, and Luxembourg all recorded WEI+ values under 1%, indicating no significant water stress.