Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly by country
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...
What the numbers show
Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly is currently reported for 218 countries. The highest value is 55.57 Percentage change in United Arab Emirates; the lowest is -15.94 Percentage change in Syrian Arab Republic.
The median across all reporting countries is -1.77 Percentage change, and the mean is -2.87 Percentage change.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 3.
Over the past decade 83 countries rose and 135 fell. The largest increase was in Montserrat (up 2,451.1%), and the largest decrease in Zambia (down 33,776.0%).
Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 55.57 Percentage change | 2024 | up 322.2% | volatile |
| 2 | Oman | 37.43 Percentage change | 2024 | up 203.8% | volatile |
| 3 | Niger | 23.95 Percentage change | 2024 | up 741.3% | volatile |
| 4 | Cayman Islands | 14.93 Percentage change | 2024 | up 407.4% | volatile |
| 5 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 13.91 Percentage change | 2024 | up 632.8% | volatile |
| 6 | Bahrain | 10.46 Percentage change | 2024 | up 146.1% | volatile |
| 7 | Montserrat | 10.06 Percentage change | 2024 | up 2,451.1% | volatile |
| 7 | Cabo Verde | 1.34 Percentage change | 2024 | up 145.1% | volatile |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8.26 Percentage change | 2024 | up 183.6% | volatile |
| 9 | Luxembourg | 7.66 Percentage change | 2024 | up 1,246.6% | volatile |
| 9 | Caribbean | 1.17 Percentage change | 2024 | up 122.7% | volatile |
| 10 | Monaco | 7.65 Percentage change | 2024 | up 114.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Belgium | 7.25 Percentage change | 2024 | up 381.4% | volatile |
| 11 | Fiji | 0.8198 Percentage change | 2024 | up 124.1% | volatile |
| 12 | Denmark | 6.92 Percentage change | 2024 | up 1,941.3% | volatile |
| 13 | Antigua and Barbuda | 6.9 Percentage change | 2024 | up 205.1% | volatile |
| 14 | Mauritius | 6.77 Percentage change | 2024 | up 675.7% | volatile |
| 15 | Puerto Rico | 5.6 Percentage change | 2024 | up 189.7% | volatile |
| 16 | Kazakhstan | 5.49 Percentage change | 2024 | up 300.7% | volatile |
| 17 | Faroe Islands | 5.29 Percentage change | 2024 | up 273.4% | volatile |
| 18 | Palau | 4.9 Percentage change | 2024 | down 45.9% | volatile |
| 19 | Réunion | 4.75 Percentage change | 2024 | up 144.3% | volatile |
| 20 | Isle of Man | 4.16 Percentage change | 2024 | up 1,222.7% | volatile |
| 21 | France | 4.16 Percentage change | 2024 | up 277.9% | volatile |
| 22 | Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 4.11 Percentage change | 2024 | up 397.4% | volatile |
| 23 | India | 4.04 Percentage change | 2024 | up 668.7% | volatile |
| 24 | Chad | 3.78 Percentage change | 2024 | up 170.1% | volatile |
| 25 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3.78 Percentage change | 2024 | up 135.6% | volatile |
| 25 | Croatia | -2.78 Percentage change | 2024 | down 134.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Tanzania | 3.52 Percentage change | 2024 | up 612.0% | volatile |
| 27 | Uruguay | 3.41 Percentage change | 2024 | down 62.9% | volatile |
| 28 | Netherlands | 6.6 Percentage change | 2024 | up 166.0% | volatile |
| 28 | San Marino | 3.33 Percentage change | 2024 | down 73.7% | volatile |
| 29 | Australia | 2.91 Percentage change | 2024 | up 161.5% | volatile |
| 30 | El Salvador | 2.89 Percentage change | 2024 | up 226.8% | volatile |
| 31 | Barbados | 2.81 Percentage change | 2024 | up 152.0% | volatile |
| 31 | Ethiopia | -4.52 Percentage change | 2024 | down 497.1% | volatile |
| 32 | Andorra | 2.7 Percentage change | 2024 | down 4.8% | volatile |
| 33 | Iceland | 2.52 Percentage change | 2024 | up 331.7% | volatile |
| 33 | Equatorial Guinea | -5.19 Percentage change | 2024 | down 183.5% | volatile |
| 34 | Australia and New Zealand | 2.48 Percentage change | 2024 | up 156.1% | volatile |
| 35 | United Kingdom | 2.35 Percentage change | 2024 | down 2.0% | volatile |
| 36 | Bahamas | 2.27 Percentage change | 2024 | up 144.3% | volatile |
| 36 | Eswatini | -5.89 Percentage change | 2024 | down 21.1% | volatile |
| 37 | Brunei Darussalam | 2.26 Percentage change | 2024 | up 36.5% | volatile |
| 38 | Haiti | 2.16 Percentage change | 2024 | up 121.5% | volatile |
| 39 | Liechtenstein | 2.13 Percentage change | 2024 | up 34.2% | volatile |
| 40 | Gambia | 2.1 Percentage change | 2024 | up 148.5% | volatile |
| 41 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.87 Percentage change | 2024 | up 134.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Madagascar | -6.98 Percentage change | 2024 | down 110.2% | volatile |
| 42 | Norway | 1.83 Percentage change | 2024 | up 290.0% | volatile |
| 43 | New Caledonia | 1.79 Percentage change | 2024 | up 193.1% | volatile |
| 44 | Sri Lanka | 1.79 Percentage change | 2024 | up 24.8% | volatile |
| 45 | Pakistan | 1.76 Percentage change | 2024 | up 121.2% | volatile |
| 46 | Dominican Republic | 1.65 Percentage change | 2024 | up 113.9% | volatile |
| 47 | Comoros | 1.61 Percentage change | 2024 | up 126.4% | volatile |
| 48 | Germany | 1.58 Percentage change | 2024 | up 79.9% | volatile |
| 49 | Martinique | 1.51 Percentage change | 2024 | up 126.1% | volatile |
| 50 | North Korea | 1.3 Percentage change | 2024 | up 115.3% | volatile |
| 51 | Sweden | 1.3 Percentage change | 2024 | up 107.8% | volatile |
| 51 | Moldova | -9.19 Percentage change | 2024 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 52 | Nicaragua | 1.27 Percentage change | 2024 | up 275.4% | volatile |
| 53 | Portugal | 1.25 Percentage change | 2024 | down 85.4% | volatile |
| 54 | Jamaica | 1.16 Percentage change | 2024 | up 119.8% | volatile |
| 55 | Papua New Guinea | 1.15 Percentage change | 2024 | down 28.5% | volatile |
| 56 | Solomon Islands | 1.13 Percentage change | 2024 | down 6.0% | volatile |
| 57 | Tajikistan | 1.11 Percentage change | 2024 | up 115.1% | volatile |
| 58 | Afghanistan | 1.09 Percentage change | 2024 | up 428.1% | volatile |
| 58 | Mauritania | -12.12 Percentage change | 2024 | up 15.8% | volatile |
| 59 | Spain | 1.05 Percentage change | 2024 | down 26.9% | volatile |
| 60 | Singapore | 0.8327 Percentage change | 2024 | up 113.5% | volatile |
| 61 | Samoa | 0.7823 Percentage change | 2024 | up 1,195.8% | volatile |
| 62 | Italy | 0.775 Percentage change | 2024 | down 86.5% | volatile |
| 63 | Switzerland | 0.7024 Percentage change | 2024 | down 32.2% | volatile |
| 64 | Greenland | 0.6762 Percentage change | 2024 | up 685.4% | volatile |
| 65 | Vanuatu | 0.6756 Percentage change | 2024 | up 156.2% | volatile |
| 65 | Lesotho | -18.9 Percentage change | 2024 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 66 | Malaysia | 0.5975 Percentage change | 2024 | up 171.5% | volatile |
| 67 | Timor-Leste | 3.82 Percentage change | 2024 | up 188.2% | volatile |
| 67 | Japan | 0.5479 Percentage change | 2024 | down 34.6% | volatile |
| 68 | Guadeloupe | 0.5374 Percentage change | 2024 | up 151.3% | volatile |
| 69 | Finland | 0.477 Percentage change | 2024 | down 47.7% | volatile |
| 70 | Ireland | 0.4654 Percentage change | 2024 | down 54.1% | volatile |
| 71 | Austria | 0.4412 Percentage change | 2024 | down 82.7% | volatile |
| 72 | Czechia | 0.4394 Percentage change | 2024 | down 20.5% | volatile |
| 73 | Cuba | 0.4213 Percentage change | 2024 | up 139.9% | volatile |
| 74 | Mali | 0.4114 Percentage change | 2024 | up 105.8% | volatile |
| 75 | Grenada | 0.4007 Percentage change | 2024 | up 104.0% | volatile |
| 76 | Mongolia | 0.3844 Percentage change | 2024 | up 104.9% | volatile |
| 77 | Armenia | 0.3575 Percentage change | 2024 | up 142.7% | volatile |
| 78 | Burkina Faso | 0.3027 Percentage change | 2024 | up 105.3% | volatile |
| 79 | Indonesia | 0.2885 Percentage change | 2024 | up 117.9% | volatile |
| 80 | Jersey | 0.2705 Percentage change | 2024 | down 36.9% | volatile |
| 81 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 0.2512 Percentage change | 2024 | down 91.4% | volatile |
| 82 | Canada | -0.2278 Percentage change | 2024 | up 39.8% | volatile |
| 83 | Holy See | -0.3239 Percentage change | 2024 | down 108.1% | volatile |
| 84 | Costa Rica | -0.4173 Percentage change | 2024 | up 72.5% | volatile |
| 85 | Mayotte | -0.4497 Percentage change | 2024 | up 90.0% | volatile |
| 86 | Honduras | -0.4768 Percentage change | 2024 | down 245.2% | volatile |
| 87 | French Southern Territories | -0.6273 Percentage change | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 88 | Senegal | -0.8177 Percentage change | 2024 | up 90.1% | volatile |
| 89 | Dominica | -0.8585 Percentage change | 2024 | up 61.5% | volatile |
| 90 | Saint Lucia | -0.9119 Percentage change | 2024 | up 85.3% | volatile |
| 91 | Georgia | -1.03 Percentage change | 2024 | down 27.2% | volatile |
| 92 | China | -1.05 Percentage change | 2024 | up 61.7% | volatile |
| 93 | Panama | -1.05 Percentage change | 2024 | down 35.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Heard Island and McDonald Islands | -1.14 Percentage change | 2024 | down 148.8% | volatile |
| 95 | OECD | -1.2 Percentage change | 2024 | down 42.0% | volatile |
| 96 | Bhutan | -1.35 Percentage change | 2024 | down 65.0% | volatile |
| 97 | Cyprus | -1.43 Percentage change | 2024 | down 124.6% | volatile |
| 98 | Taiwan | -1.47 Percentage change | 2024 | down 313.8% | volatile |
| 99 | Albania | -1.5 Percentage change | 2024 | down 117.7% | volatile |
| 100 | Qatar | -1.57 Percentage change | 2024 | down 246.2% | volatile |
| 101 | Chile | -1.74 Percentage change | 2024 | down 35.8% | volatile |
| 102 | Azerbaijan | -1.79 Percentage change | 2024 | up 70.3% | volatile |
| 103 | Myanmar | -1.9 Percentage change | 2024 | up 38.0% | volatile |
| 104 | Kosovo | -2.28 Percentage change | 2024 | down 137.7% | volatile |
| 105 | Burundi | -2.31 Percentage change | 2024 | down 243.9% | volatile |
| 106 | Philippines | -2.37 Percentage change | 2024 | down 192.6% | volatile |
| 107 | Trinidad and Tobago | -2.4 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1.9% | volatile |
| 108 | Russia | -2.48 Percentage change | 2024 | down 59.9% | volatile |
| 109 | New Zealand | -2.56 Percentage change | 2024 | down 277.2% | volatile |
| 110 | Montenegro | -2.6 Percentage change | 2024 | down 133.7% | volatile |
| 111 | French Guiana | -2.64 Percentage change | 2024 | down 116.9% | volatile |
| 112 | United States | -2.91 Percentage change | 2024 | down 64.0% | volatile |
| 113 | Nepal | -2.95 Percentage change | 2024 | down 245.6% | volatile |
| 114 | Kenya | -2.97 Percentage change | 2024 | down 8.0% | volatile |
| 115 | North Macedonia | -3.03 Percentage change | 2024 | down 133.2% | volatile |
| 116 | Hong Kong | -3.05 Percentage change | 2024 | down 634.2% | volatile |
| 117 | Guinea-Bissau | -3.19 Percentage change | 2024 | down 171.2% | volatile |
| 118 | Sao Tome and Principe | -3.56 Percentage change | 2024 | down 2,728.7% | volatile |
| 119 | Rwanda | -3.77 Percentage change | 2024 | down 516.5% | volatile |
| 120 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | -3.81 Percentage change | 2024 | down 157.3% | volatile |
| 121 | Thailand | -3.92 Percentage change | 2024 | down 129.2% | volatile |
| 122 | Cambodia | -3.93 Percentage change | 2024 | down 212.5% | volatile |
| 123 | Bangladesh | -3.96 Percentage change | 2024 | up 52.8% | volatile |
| 124 | Lebanon | -4.17 Percentage change | 2024 | down 18.1% | volatile |
| 125 | Hungary | -4.21 Percentage change | 2024 | down 166.1% | volatile |
| 126 | Belize | -4.41 Percentage change | 2024 | down 216.3% | volatile |
| 127 | Iraq | -4.44 Percentage change | 2024 | down 122.6% | volatile |
| 128 | Eritrea | -4.64 Percentage change | 2024 | down 35.9% | volatile |
| 129 | Guatemala | -4.69 Percentage change | 2024 | down 358.7% | volatile |
| 130 | Colombia | -5.16 Percentage change | 2024 | down 287.3% | volatile |
| 131 | Laos | -5.18 Percentage change | 2024 | down 288.1% | volatile |
| 132 | Guam | -5.18 Percentage change | 2024 | down 179.9% | volatile |
| 133 | Suriname | -5.34 Percentage change | 2024 | down 2,769.4% | volatile |
| 134 | Ecuador | -5.36 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,435.9% | volatile |
| 135 | Gabon | -5.65 Percentage change | 2024 | down 220.2% | volatile |
| 136 | Angola | -5.94 Percentage change | 2024 | down 3,393.3% | volatile |
| 137 | Nigeria | -6.18 Percentage change | 2024 | down 384.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Mexico | -6.18 Percentage change | 2024 | down 195.4% | volatile |
| 139 | Greece | -6.19 Percentage change | 2024 | down 189.0% | volatile |
| 140 | Belarus | -6.24 Percentage change | 2024 | up 9.5% | volatile |
| 141 | Malawi | -6.46 Percentage change | 2024 | down 145.8% | volatile |
| 142 | Macao | -6.55 Percentage change | 2024 | down 486.2% | volatile |
| 143 | Peru | -6.71 Percentage change | 2024 | down 7,772.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Sudan | -7.05 Percentage change | 2024 | down 349.0% | volatile |
| 145 | Northern Mariana Islands | -7.21 Percentage change | 2024 | down 163.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Serbia | -7.32 Percentage change | 2024 | down 182.7% | volatile |
| 147 | Uganda | -7.39 Percentage change | 2024 | down 51.0% | volatile |
| 148 | Uzbekistan | -7.5 Percentage change | 2024 | down 383.6% | volatile |
| 149 | Venezuela | -7.54 Percentage change | 2024 | down 161.5% | volatile |
| 150 | Guinea | -7.63 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,757.0% | volatile |
| 151 | Bulgaria | -7.74 Percentage change | 2024 | down 182.9% | volatile |
| 152 | French Polynesia | -7.88 Percentage change | 2024 | down 975.9% | volatile |
| 153 | Liberia | -7.89 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,067.1% | volatile |
| 154 | Iran | -7.92 Percentage change | 2024 | down 199.3% | volatile |
| 155 | Benin | -8.07 Percentage change | 2024 | down 647.4% | volatile |
| 156 | Saudi Arabia | -8.23 Percentage change | 2024 | up 35.9% | volatile |
| 157 | Kuwait | -8.47 Percentage change | 2024 | down 137.7% | volatile |
| 158 | Malta | -8.76 Percentage change | 2024 | down 723.8% | volatile |
| 159 | Sierra Leone | -8.8 Percentage change | 2024 | down 7,459.7% | volatile |
| 160 | Guyana | -8.87 Percentage change | 2024 | down 934.3% | volatile |
| 161 | Romania | -8.96 Percentage change | 2024 | down 839.8% | volatile |
| 162 | Palestine | -9.03 Percentage change | 2024 | down 18.1% | volatile |
| 163 | Yemen | -9.27 Percentage change | 2024 | up 55.4% | volatile |
| 164 | Togo | -9.49 Percentage change | 2024 | down 705.3% | volatile |
| 165 | Melanesia | 1.14 Percentage change | 2024 | down 10.9% | volatile |
| 165 | Côte d’Ivoire | -9.56 Percentage change | 2024 | down 4,130.5% | volatile |
| 166 | Brazil | -9.66 Percentage change | 2024 | down 287.8% | volatile |
| 167 | Somalia | -9.78 Percentage change | 2024 | down 19.7% | volatile |
| 168 | Ghana | -9.82 Percentage change | 2024 | down 7,000.9% | volatile |
| 169 | Cameroon | -9.91 Percentage change | 2024 | down 917.0% | volatile |
| 170 | Israel | -10.31 Percentage change | 2024 | down 164.4% | volatile |
| 171 | Mozambique | -10.35 Percentage change | 2024 | down 432.8% | volatile |
| 172 | Bolivia | -10.77 Percentage change | 2024 | down 969.5% | volatile |
| 173 | Argentina | -10.81 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,686.3% | volatile |
| 174 | Ukraine | -10.91 Percentage change | 2024 | down 27.0% | volatile |
| 175 | Zambia | -11.37 Percentage change | 2024 | down 33,776.0% | volatile |
| 176 | South Africa | -11.78 Percentage change | 2024 | down 114.9% | volatile |
| 177 | Congo | -12.63 Percentage change | 2024 | down 295.7% | volatile |
| 178 | Djibouti | -12.75 Percentage change | 2024 | up 41.1% | volatile |
| 179 | Tunisia | -12.84 Percentage change | 2024 | down 107.5% | volatile |
| 180 | Egypt | -15.49 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,215.9% | volatile |
| 181 | South Sudan | -16.51 Percentage change | 2024 | down 197.3% | volatile |
| 182 | Zimbabwe | -17.12 Percentage change | 2024 | down 550.5% | volatile |
| 183 | Paraguay | -17.44 Percentage change | 2024 | down 1,568.2% | volatile |
| 184 | Morocco | -18.2 Percentage change | 2024 | down 333.8% | volatile |
| 185 | Central African Republic | -18.25 Percentage change | 2024 | down 254.4% | volatile |
| 186 | Aruba | -21.24 Percentage change | 2024 | down 5.3% | volatile |
| 187 | Botswana | -22.05 Percentage change | 2024 | down 259.3% | volatile |
| 188 | Turkmenistan | -22.29 Percentage change | 2024 | down 58.4% | volatile |
| 189 | Algeria | -25.07 Percentage change | 2024 | down 571.9% | volatile |
| 190 | Jordan | -28.96 Percentage change | 2024 | down 2,754.7% | volatile |
| 191 | Namibia | -29.91 Percentage change | 2024 | down 423.6% | volatile |
| 192 | Libya | -33.47 Percentage change | 2024 | down 160.3% | volatile |
| 193 | Western Sahara | -52.95 Percentage change | 2024 | down 209.8% | volatile |
| 249 | Slovenia | -0.3483 Percentage change | 2024 | down 108.3% | volatile |
| 318 | Estonia | -1.68 Percentage change | 2024 | down 646.9% | volatile |
| 348 | Polynesia | -2.18 Percentage change | 2024 | down 727.7% | volatile |
| 378 | Viet Nam | -2.53 Percentage change | 2024 | down 989.8% | volatile |
| 403 | Latvia | -2.93 Percentage change | 2024 | down 750.3% | volatile |
| 409 | Micronesia | -3.04 Percentage change | 2024 | down 145.3% | volatile |
| 420 | Türkiye | -3.21 Percentage change | 2024 | down 644.7% | volatile |
| 448 | Lithuania | -3.84 Percentage change | 2024 | down 83.4% | volatile |
| 542 | Poland | -5.96 Percentage change | 2024 | down 367.8% | volatile |
| 681 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | -13.81 Percentage change | 2024 | down 171.5% | volatile |
| 698 | Syrian Arab Republic | -15.94 Percentage change | 2024 | down 3,040.3% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Puducherry 15.69 Percentage change
- Rio Grande do Norte 6.13 Percentage change
- Tamil Nadu 13.97 Percentage change
- Western Europe 3.13 Percentage change
- Northern Territory 12.79 Percentage change
- Korea 2.83 Percentage change
- Île-de-France 11.34 Percentage change
- Central Asia 2.58 Percentage change
- North Brabant 9.87 Percentage change
- Oceania 2.24 Percentage change
- Gujarat 9.84 Percentage change
- Southern Asia 1.36 Percentage change
- Karnataka 9.66 Percentage change
- Centre - Val de Loire 9.35 Percentage change
- Bahia 1.17 Percentage change
- Daman & Diu 9.25 Percentage change
- Brussels Capital Region 9.07 Percentage change
- Northern Europe 1.14 Percentage change
- Zeeland 9.02 Percentage change
- Central Jutland 8.99 Percentage change
- Rio Grande do Sul 0.8129 Percentage change
- Pays de la Loire 8.97 Percentage change
- Paraíba 0.0701 Percentage change
- Rajasthan 8.96 Percentage change
- Advanced economies -0.5138 Percentage change
- Andhra Pradesh 8.95 Percentage change
- Valparaíso -0.6325 Percentage change
- Northern Jutland 8.32 Percentage change
- Eastern Asia -0.7603 Percentage change
- Southern Denmark 8.19 Percentage change
- Santa Catarina -0.8531 Percentage change
- Flemish Region 7.94 Percentage change
- Southern Europe -0.8967 Percentage change
- Altai Krai 7.83 Percentage change
- Northern America -1.23 Percentage change
- Gelderland 7.8 Percentage change
- South-Eastern Asia -1.27 Percentage change
- Emilia-Romagna 7.57 Percentage change
- Slovak Republic -1.28 Percentage change
- Hauts-de-France 7.49 Percentage change
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