The Three Percent

  • Released Thursday, August 14, 2014
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Freshwater seems abundant, but when accounting for all the water on Earth, it's in limited supply. Just three percent of the water on our planet is freshwater. A majority of this water, about two percent of the world total, is contained in glaciers and ice sheets or stored below ground. The remaining one percent is found in lakes, rivers and wetland areas or transported through the atmosphere in the form of water vapor, clouds and precipitation. Rain and snowfall replenish freshwater sources, making it vital to know when, where and how much water is falling at any given time. Using NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, researchers can track precipitation worldwide and monitor levels from space. Watch the video to learn more.

How much of Earth's freshwater is actually usable?

How much of Earth's freshwater is actually usable?

Find out how freshwater is used around the world in this video.

0.26 percent of the world's water is found in lakes.

0.26 percent of the world's water is found in lakes.

The atmosphere contains 0.04 percent of the world's water.

The atmosphere contains 0.04 percent of the world's water.

0.03 percent of the world's water is found in wetland areas, such as swamps and marshes.

0.03 percent of the world's water is found in wetland areas, such as swamps and marshes.

Rivers contain 0.006 percent of the world's water.

Rivers contain 0.006 percent of the world's water.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Thursday, August 14, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.