Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe
Western Europe: Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly was 2.84 Percentage change in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe, 1981–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
Western Europe recorded 2.84 Percentage change for exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in 2024.
That represents a change of up 268.1% on the previous year and up 77.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe peaked at 6.16 Percentage change in 1981 and was at its lowest, -8.15 Percentage change, in 2018.
Western Europe ranks 2nd of 67 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 6.16 Percentage change | — |
| 1982 | 0.2927 Percentage change | -95.2% |
| 1983 | 0.2695 Percentage change | -7.9% |
| 1984 | 3.31 Percentage change | +1128.3% |
| 1985 | -0.1848 Percentage change | -105.6% |
| 1986 | 1.78 Percentage change | -1065.7% |
| 1987 | 5.55 Percentage change | +211.1% |
| 1988 | 1.13 Percentage change | -79.7% |
| 1989 | -7.18 Percentage change | -736.5% |
| 1990 | -5.15 Percentage change | -28.2% |
| 1991 | -3.83 Percentage change | -25.6% |
| 1992 | -0.2587 Percentage change | -93.2% |
| 1993 | 0.873 Percentage change | -437.5% |
| 1994 | 2.1 Percentage change | +140.0% |
| 1995 | -1.34 Percentage change | -163.8% |
| 1996 | -1.27 Percentage change | -4.8% |
| 1997 | -2.28 Percentage change | +79.2% |
| 1998 | 1.16 Percentage change | -150.7% |
| 1999 | 2.01 Percentage change | +73.3% |
| 2000 | 3.6 Percentage change | +79.4% |
| 2001 | 2.48 Percentage change | -30.9% |
| 2002 | 2.6 Percentage change | +4.5% |
| 2003 | -8.08 Percentage change | -411.3% |
| 2004 | -1.51 Percentage change | -81.4% |
| 2005 | -2.62 Percentage change | +73.8% |
| 2006 | -1.27 Percentage change | -51.4% |
| 2007 | 1.84 Percentage change | -244.9% |
| 2008 | 2.12 Percentage change | +15.1% |
| 2009 | -2 Percentage change | -194.3% |
| 2010 | -0.2984 Percentage change | -85.1% |
| 2011 | -6.12 Percentage change | +1951.4% |
| 2012 | 0.1435 Percentage change | -102.3% |
| 2013 | 1.6 Percentage change | +1014.5% |
| 2014 | 1.61 Percentage change | +0.4% |
| 2015 | -3.71 Percentage change | -331.3% |
| 2016 | -1.82 Percentage change | -51.1% |
| 2017 | -2.31 Percentage change | +27.1% |
| 2018 | -8.15 Percentage change | +253.2% |
| 2019 | -4.27 Percentage change | -47.6% |
| 2020 | -6.05 Percentage change | +41.6% |
| 2021 | 2 Percentage change | -133.0% |
| 2022 | -5.74 Percentage change | -387.4% |
| 2023 | -1.69 Percentage change | -70.5% |
| 2024 | 2.84 Percentage change | -268.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -1951.4% | -0.2984 Percentage change | -6.12 Percentage change |
| 1984 | +1128.3% | 0.2695 Percentage change | 3.31 Percentage change |
| 1986 | +1065.7% | -0.1848 Percentage change | 1.78 Percentage change |
| 2013 | +1014.5% | 0.1435 Percentage change | 1.6 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.24 Percentage change | -7.18 Percentage change | 6.16 Percentage change | 9 |
| 1990s | -0.7999 Percentage change | -5.15 Percentage change | 2.1 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2838 Percentage change | -8.08 Percentage change | 3.6 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.33 Percentage change | -8.15 Percentage change | 1.61 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.73 Percentage change | -6.05 Percentage change | 2.84 Percentage change | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Europe
More environment data for Western Europe
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.1 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.94 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.485 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.23 °C (2025)
- Roundwood — Production 151.58 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood, non-coniferous — Production 54.56 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood, coniferous — Production 97.02 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood — Export value 1.73 million 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood — Export quantity 14.73 million m3 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe?
- Exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Western Europe was 2.84 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 Western Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 6.16 Percentage change in 1981.
- What is the lowest exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was -8.15 Percentage change in 2018.
- How does Western Europe rank for exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly?
- Western Europe ranks 2nd out of 67 groups with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 77.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Western Europe 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.
Download this data
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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