Combining 8 different methods of estimation, this data set presents the average rate of groundwater depletion for 50+ major water systems around the world. Estimated depletion rates are given in cubic kilometers / year, by decade from 1900 - 2008. The water systems included are aquifers, regions, and regional summaries (including global totals).

Most of individual aquifers are in North America, but large-scale estimates for African and Asian water systems are also included, as well as global totals.

UPDATE (10/11/2011): A vigilant user noticed that the statistics in the "Winter Garden Area" row were a duplicate of a nearby row. The data set file has been replaced with a new version containing the right numbers, and all other rows were double-checked for accuracy.

Research Paper: Konikow, Leonard F, "Contribution of global groundwater depletion since 1900 to sea-level rise," Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, L17401, doi:10.1029/2011GL048604, 2011. Published 2011 by American Geophysical Union. Reproduced/modified by permission of American Geophysical Union.