Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States
United States: Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly was -3.62 Percentage change in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States, 1981–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
United States recorded -3.62 Percentage change for exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in 2024.
The figure is up 26.8% on the previous year and down 491.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States peaked at 6.2 Percentage change in 1993 and was at its lowest, -9.48 Percentage change, in 2012.
United States ranks 70th of 167 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.7889 Percentage change | — |
| 1982 | 4.63 Percentage change | +487.3% |
| 1983 | 2.53 Percentage change | -45.5% |
| 1984 | 3 Percentage change | +18.7% |
| 1985 | 3.7 Percentage change | +23.5% |
| 1986 | 4.36 Percentage change | +17.6% |
| 1987 | -1.08 Percentage change | -124.8% |
| 1988 | -6.39 Percentage change | +492.6% |
| 1989 | -2.37 Percentage change | -62.9% |
| 1990 | -0.4636 Percentage change | -80.5% |
| 1991 | 0.0064 Percentage change | -101.4% |
| 1992 | 3 Percentage change | +46956.5% |
| 1993 | 6.2 Percentage change | +106.8% |
| 1994 | 0.3679 Percentage change | -94.1% |
| 1995 | 2.16 Percentage change | +487.7% |
| 1996 | 2.25 Percentage change | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 2.58 Percentage change | +14.9% |
| 1998 | 1.46 Percentage change | -43.3% |
| 1999 | -4.41 Percentage change | -401.4% |
| 2000 | -2.99 Percentage change | -32.3% |
| 2001 | -1.55 Percentage change | -48.0% |
| 2002 | -3.07 Percentage change | +97.5% |
| 2003 | -2.05 Percentage change | -33.3% |
| 2004 | 1.06 Percentage change | -152.0% |
| 2005 | -3.68 Percentage change | -446.7% |
| 2006 | -4.62 Percentage change | +25.3% |
| 2007 | -3.81 Percentage change | -17.5% |
| 2008 | -1.83 Percentage change | -52.1% |
| 2009 | 1.3 Percentage change | -171.5% |
| 2010 | -1.1 Percentage change | -183.9% |
| 2011 | -3.47 Percentage change | +217.2% |
| 2012 | -9.48 Percentage change | +173.0% |
| 2013 | -1.35 Percentage change | -85.7% |
| 2014 | -0.6128 Percentage change | -54.7% |
| 2015 | -0.2913 Percentage change | -52.5% |
| 2016 | -0.5268 Percentage change | +80.8% |
| 2017 | -1.63 Percentage change | +209.0% |
| 2018 | 2.42 Percentage change | -248.9% |
| 2019 | 4.18 Percentage change | +72.5% |
| 2020 | -3.55 Percentage change | -184.9% |
| 2021 | -3.53 Percentage change | -0.5% |
| 2022 | -7.01 Percentage change | +98.4% |
| 2023 | -4.95 Percentage change | -29.5% |
| 2024 | -3.62 Percentage change | -26.8% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's -3.62 Percentage change is below the median for high income countries, which is -2.52 Percentage change, 1.4× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +46956.5% | 0.0064 Percentage change | 3 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.02 Percentage change | -6.39 Percentage change | 4.63 Percentage change | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.31 Percentage change | -4.41 Percentage change | 6.2 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.12 Percentage change | -4.62 Percentage change | 1.3 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.19 Percentage change | -9.48 Percentage change | 4.18 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.53 Percentage change | -7.01 Percentage change | -3.53 Percentage change | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 67 Norway -3.12 Percentage change compare
- 67 Lesotho -26.87 Percentage change compare
- 68 Japan -3.21 Percentage change compare
- 68 Netherlands 0.8288 Percentage change compare
- 69 Guinea-Bissau -3.26 Percentage change compare
- 71 Costa Rica -3.64 Percentage change compare
- 72 Haiti -3.67 Percentage change compare
- 73 Burundi -3.8 Percentage change compare
More environment data for United States
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 3.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.3672 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.624 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1269 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States?
- Exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in United States was -3.62 Percentage change in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2 Percentage change in 1993.
- What is the lowest exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was -9.48 Percentage change in 2012.
- How does United States rank for exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly?
- United States ranks 70th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 491.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The dataset provides annual anomalies in land and cropland soil moisture content of the top soil layer compared to the reference period 1981-2010. Exposure indicators to drought have been prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Please see the working paper for a more complete description of the methods. The datasets span the period 1981-2022 and is the result of the use of a variety of geospatial data sources, including the ERA5-Land averaged monthly data of volumetric soil moisture and ESA CCI land cover data. Average anomalies have been calculated for both land and cropland exposure to drought. The dataset has a global coverage on a national level; on the sub-national TL2 level (i.e. large subnational regions) results are reported for all OECD countries as well as for Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa. A number of aggregates are included: Euro area, European Union, Advanced economies, Emerging market economies, G7, G20, OECD, OECD Europe, OECD Asia Oceania, OECD Americas and the LAC region. Data source(s): Copernicus Climate Change Initiative land cover data and Copernicus Climate Data Store monthly soil moisture data (ERA5). Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Database documentation