The majority of fresh water on Earth is found locked up in ice and glaciers, as well as underground in groundwater. Specifically, about 2.5% of all Earth's water is fresh water, and of that, nearly 70% is stored in ice caps and glaciers, with a significant portion also held as groundwater. Only a small fraction of fresh water-around 1.2% of all fresh water-is surface water such as lakes, rivers, and swamps, which are more directly accessible for human and ecological use

. To summarize:

• About 96.5% of Earth's total water is salt water in oceans.
• Only 2.5% is fresh water.
• Of that fresh water, roughly 69-70% is locked in ice and glaciers.
• Around 30% of fresh water is groundwater.
• Surface fresh water (lakes, rivers, swamps) makes up just over 1% of fresh water.
• Rivers contain only about 0.49% of surface fresh water, but are a critical source for human consumption

Thus, the vast majority of Earth's fresh water is not in rivers or lakes but in ice and underground aquifers.