Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia
Southern Asia: Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly was 1.36 Percentage change in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia, 1981–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
The most recent figure for exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia is 1.36 Percentage change, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 157.1% on the previous year and up 185.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia peaked at 7.71 Percentage change in 2020 and was at its lowest, -5.77 Percentage change, in 2002.
Southern Asia ranks 6th 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 — Land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.5001 Percentage change | — |
| 1982 | 2.9 Percentage change | +480.7% |
| 1983 | 1.79 Percentage change | -38.2% |
| 1984 | -2.37 Percentage change | -232.1% |
| 1985 | -3.4 Percentage change | +43.3% |
| 1986 | 1.02 Percentage change | -130.0% |
| 1987 | -5.43 Percentage change | -632.0% |
| 1988 | -1.43 Percentage change | -73.7% |
| 1989 | -2.2 Percentage change | +53.9% |
| 1990 | 4.46 Percentage change | -303.0% |
| 1991 | 1.58 Percentage change | -64.6% |
| 1992 | 1.8 Percentage change | +14.1% |
| 1993 | 2.35 Percentage change | +30.5% |
| 1994 | 1.96 Percentage change | -16.5% |
| 1995 | 2.02 Percentage change | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 3.05 Percentage change | +50.9% |
| 1997 | 4.9 Percentage change | +60.8% |
| 1998 | 5.17 Percentage change | +5.5% |
| 1999 | -2.28 Percentage change | -144.2% |
| 2000 | -5.37 Percentage change | +135.3% |
| 2001 | -4.86 Percentage change | -9.5% |
| 2002 | -5.77 Percentage change | +18.8% |
| 2003 | 0.4785 Percentage change | -108.3% |
| 2004 | -2.26 Percentage change | -571.3% |
| 2005 | 2.14 Percentage change | -194.8% |
| 2006 | -0.8357 Percentage change | -139.1% |
| 2007 | 1.46 Percentage change | -274.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0668 Percentage change | -95.4% |
| 2009 | -2.05 Percentage change | -3165.9% |
| 2010 | 0.611 Percentage change | -129.8% |
| 2011 | 0.6405 Percentage change | +4.8% |
| 2012 | -1.54 Percentage change | -339.7% |
| 2013 | 2.88 Percentage change | -287.7% |
| 2014 | -1.59 Percentage change | -155.1% |
| 2015 | 1.38 Percentage change | -187.1% |
| 2016 | -3.16 Percentage change | -328.5% |
| 2017 | -1.1 Percentage change | -65.3% |
| 2018 | -4.95 Percentage change | +351.8% |
| 2019 | 7.14 Percentage change | -244.2% |
| 2020 | 7.71 Percentage change | +8.0% |
| 2021 | -2.84 Percentage change | -136.8% |
| 2022 | 2.01 Percentage change | -171.0% |
| 2023 | -2.38 Percentage change | -218.4% |
| 2024 | 1.36 Percentage change | -157.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | -3165.9% | 0.0668 Percentage change | -2.05 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | -0.9559 Percentage change | -5.43 Percentage change | 2.9 Percentage change | 9 |
| 1990s | 2.5 Percentage change | -2.28 Percentage change | 5.17 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.7 Percentage change | -5.77 Percentage change | 2.14 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0323 Percentage change | -4.95 Percentage change | 7.14 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.17 Percentage change | -2.84 Percentage change | 7.71 Percentage change | 5 |
Countries ranked near Southern Asia
- 3 Niger 23.95 Percentage change compare
- 4 Cayman Islands 14.93 Percentage change compare
- 5 Turks and Caicos Islands 13.91 Percentage change compare
- 6 Bahrain 10.46 Percentage change compare
- 7 Cabo Verde 1.34 Percentage change compare
- 7 Montserrat 10.06 Percentage change compare
- 8 Saint Kitts and Nevis 8.26 Percentage change compare
- 9 Luxembourg 7.66 Percentage change compare
- 9 Caribbean 1.17 Percentage change compare
More environment data for Southern Asia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.4009 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.274 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.44 °C (2025)
- Total fibre furnish — Production 15.39 million t (2024)
- Recovered paper — Production 8.45 million t (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Production 24.03 million t (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Production 18.27 million t (2024)
- Nutrient phosphate P2O5 (total) — Use per area of cropland 44.63 kg/ha (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia?
- Exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Southern Asia was 1.36 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 Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.71 Percentage change in 2020.
- What is the lowest exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.77 Percentage change in 2002.
- How does Southern Asia rank for exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly?
- Southern Asia ranks 6th out of 67 groups with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 185.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Southern Asia 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.
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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