Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in China
China: Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly was -1.05 Percentage change in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in China, 1981–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
In 2024, exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in China stood at -1.05 Percentage change.
That represents a change of up 55.5% on the previous year and up 61.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in China peaked at 2.83 Percentage change in 1990 and was at its lowest, -4.33 Percentage change, in 2009.
China ranks 92nd of 193 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 — Land soil moisture anomaly in China, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1.05 Percentage change | — |
| 1982 | 0.4 Percentage change | -61.8% |
| 1983 | 1.24 Percentage change | +210.6% |
| 1984 | -0.5217 Percentage change | -142.0% |
| 1985 | 1.46 Percentage change | -380.0% |
| 1986 | -0.5241 Percentage change | -135.9% |
| 1987 | 1.1 Percentage change | -309.4% |
| 1988 | 0.1548 Percentage change | -85.9% |
| 1989 | 0.4124 Percentage change | +166.5% |
| 1990 | 2.83 Percentage change | +586.0% |
| 1991 | 0.2063 Percentage change | -92.7% |
| 1992 | 0.7583 Percentage change | +267.6% |
| 1993 | 2.74 Percentage change | +260.9% |
| 1994 | -0.1537 Percentage change | -105.6% |
| 1995 | -0.1243 Percentage change | -19.2% |
| 1996 | 1.93 Percentage change | -1655.3% |
| 1997 | -0.4685 Percentage change | -124.2% |
| 1998 | 2.05 Percentage change | -537.4% |
| 1999 | -0.0797 Percentage change | -103.9% |
| 2000 | 1.6 Percentage change | -2106.1% |
| 2001 | -0.6686 Percentage change | -141.8% |
| 2002 | 0.5367 Percentage change | -180.3% |
| 2003 | 2.06 Percentage change | +283.3% |
| 2004 | -1.72 Percentage change | -183.5% |
| 2005 | -1.18 Percentage change | -31.4% |
| 2006 | -3.82 Percentage change | +224.5% |
| 2007 | -4.1 Percentage change | +7.3% |
| 2008 | -2.19 Percentage change | -46.5% |
| 2009 | -4.33 Percentage change | +97.5% |
| 2010 | -0.6335 Percentage change | -85.4% |
| 2011 | -2.85 Percentage change | +349.2% |
| 2012 | -0.4782 Percentage change | -83.2% |
| 2013 | -2.06 Percentage change | +330.0% |
| 2014 | -2.74 Percentage change | +33.1% |
| 2015 | -1.57 Percentage change | -42.5% |
| 2016 | 0.7686 Percentage change | -148.8% |
| 2017 | -0.5376 Percentage change | -169.9% |
| 2018 | -0.6271 Percentage change | +16.6% |
| 2019 | -2.43 Percentage change | +287.9% |
| 2020 | -2.62 Percentage change | +7.9% |
| 2021 | -1.64 Percentage change | -37.4% |
| 2022 | -2.96 Percentage change | +79.9% |
| 2023 | -2.35 Percentage change | -20.3% |
| 2024 | -1.05 Percentage change | -55.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's -1.05 Percentage change is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -3.81 Percentage change, 27% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- China's -1.05 Percentage change is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2885 Percentage change. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in China 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +2106.1% | -0.0797 Percentage change | 1.6 Percentage change |
| 1996 | +1655.3% | -0.1243 Percentage change | 1.93 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5299 Percentage change | -0.5241 Percentage change | 1.46 Percentage change | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.9687 Percentage change | -0.4685 Percentage change | 2.83 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.38 Percentage change | -4.33 Percentage change | 2.06 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.32 Percentage change | -2.85 Percentage change | 0.7686 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.12 Percentage change | -2.96 Percentage change | -1.05 Percentage change | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in China?
- Exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in China was -1.05 Percentage change in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.83 Percentage change in 1990.
- What is the lowest exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.33 Percentage change in 2009.
- How does China rank for exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly?
- China ranks 92nd out of 193 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 61.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Exposure to drought — Land 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