This study aims to investigate the role of rainfall, surface water flow, and pumping from wells in the occurrence of groundwater drought in the Jiroft plain, southeast of Iran. Rainfall data, river discharge data, groundwater level elevation, and pumping rate from the aquifer were used to determine the factors affecting groundwater drought in this study. The drought situation has been assessed using various indices (Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Discharge Index (SDI), and Groundwater Resource Index (GRI)). A new index called the Aquifer Pumping Index (API) is also introduced to investigate the impact of groundwater pumping on the occurrence of groundwater drought. To investigate the impact of meteorological and hydrological drought on groundwater drought, the SPI and SDI indices were calculated at different time intervals, and their correlation with the GRI index was determined. The cluster analysis statistical method was also used to determine the relationship between different drought indices. The results showed that anthropogenic factors (pumping from the aquifer) play a more substantial role in the occurrence of groundwater drought than natural factors (rainfall and river discharge). Among natural factors, the dependence of groundwater on river discharge is greater than its dependence on rainfall. Geological conditions, such as the Sabzevaran fault, also affect the spatial pattern of groundwater drought.