Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly was -5.39 Percentage change in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone, 1950–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
In 2025, historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone stood at -5.39 Percentage change.
The figure is up 49.7% on the previous year and down 39.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone peaked at 11.82 Percentage change in 1972 and was at its lowest, -10.72 Percentage change, in 2024.
That places Sierra Leone 108th out of 168 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -1.79 Percentage change | — |
| 1951 | -2.16 Percentage change | +20.6% |
| 1952 | -3.02 Percentage change | +40.3% |
| 1953 | -0.4218 Percentage change | -86.1% |
| 1954 | 6.8 Percentage change | -1710.9% |
| 1955 | 5.23 Percentage change | -23.1% |
| 1956 | 6.55 Percentage change | +25.3% |
| 1957 | 3.77 Percentage change | -42.5% |
| 1958 | 10.94 Percentage change | +190.4% |
| 1959 | -1.3 Percentage change | -111.9% |
| 1960 | -0.029 Percentage change | -97.8% |
| 1961 | -2.34 Percentage change | +7961.0% |
| 1962 | -1.47 Percentage change | -37.4% |
| 1963 | 2.48 Percentage change | -268.9% |
| 1964 | -2.31 Percentage change | -193.5% |
| 1965 | 0.5734 Percentage change | -124.8% |
| 1966 | -3.39 Percentage change | -691.4% |
| 1967 | -3.21 Percentage change | -5.3% |
| 1968 | 3.43 Percentage change | -206.8% |
| 1969 | 6.79 Percentage change | +98.0% |
| 1970 | 7.03 Percentage change | +3.5% |
| 1971 | 3.21 Percentage change | -54.4% |
| 1972 | 11.82 Percentage change | +268.6% |
| 1973 | -1.27 Percentage change | -110.8% |
| 1974 | -2.65 Percentage change | +108.1% |
| 1975 | -2.23 Percentage change | -16.1% |
| 1976 | 3.17 Percentage change | -242.4% |
| 1977 | 0.118 Percentage change | -96.3% |
| 1978 | 5.8 Percentage change | +4820.5% |
| 1979 | 5.2 Percentage change | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 7.58 Percentage change | +45.7% |
| 1981 | 4.45 Percentage change | -41.2% |
| 1982 | -0.4938 Percentage change | -111.1% |
| 1983 | -2.24 Percentage change | +353.1% |
| 1984 | 0.1598 Percentage change | -107.1% |
| 1985 | -1.2 Percentage change | -848.6% |
| 1986 | -3.78 Percentage change | +215.8% |
| 1987 | -0.8722 Percentage change | -76.9% |
| 1988 | 0.4928 Percentage change | -156.5% |
| 1989 | -2.53 Percentage change | -613.0% |
| 1990 | -1.26 Percentage change | -50.1% |
| 1991 | -0.498 Percentage change | -60.5% |
| 1992 | 1.59 Percentage change | -419.6% |
| 1993 | 5.05 Percentage change | +217.5% |
| 1994 | 3.78 Percentage change | -25.2% |
| 1995 | 0.1078 Percentage change | -97.1% |
| 1996 | 0.8645 Percentage change | +701.7% |
| 1997 | -2.17 Percentage change | -351.5% |
| 1998 | -5.64 Percentage change | +159.5% |
| 1999 | 0.5708 Percentage change | -110.1% |
| 2000 | 2.7 Percentage change | +373.4% |
| 2001 | -3.23 Percentage change | -219.6% |
| 2002 | -1.96 Percentage change | -39.3% |
| 2003 | -3.12 Percentage change | +58.9% |
| 2004 | 1.66 Percentage change | -153.1% |
| 2005 | 10.72 Percentage change | +547.1% |
| 2006 | 1.13 Percentage change | -89.5% |
| 2007 | -1.82 Percentage change | -261.2% |
| 2008 | 0.7262 Percentage change | -139.9% |
| 2009 | -3.87 Percentage change | -632.2% |
| 2010 | 0.6693 Percentage change | -117.3% |
| 2011 | 1.95 Percentage change | +191.2% |
| 2012 | -0.7905 Percentage change | -140.6% |
| 2013 | -3.59 Percentage change | +353.7% |
| 2014 | 1.33 Percentage change | -137.2% |
| 2015 | -3.87 Percentage change | -390.7% |
| 2016 | -4.93 Percentage change | +27.3% |
| 2017 | 0.2551 Percentage change | -105.2% |
| 2018 | -3.18 Percentage change | -1344.9% |
| 2019 | -3.72 Percentage change | +17.1% |
| 2020 | -3.35 Percentage change | -9.9% |
| 2021 | -0.8261 Percentage change | -75.4% |
| 2022 | -7.18 Percentage change | +769.1% |
| 2023 | -0.9207 Percentage change | -87.2% |
| 2024 | -10.72 Percentage change | +1064.0% |
| 2025 | -5.39 Percentage change | -49.7% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's -5.39 Percentage change is above the median for low income countries, which is -6.27 Percentage change, 86% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's -5.39 Percentage change is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -5.06 Percentage change, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -7961.0% | -0.029 Percentage change | -2.34 Percentage change |
| 1978 | +4820.5% | 0.118 Percentage change | 5.8 Percentage change |
| 1954 | +1710.9% | -0.4218 Percentage change | 6.8 Percentage change |
| 2018 | -1344.9% | 0.2551 Percentage change | -3.18 Percentage change |
| 2024 | -1064.0% | -0.9207 Percentage change | -10.72 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.46 Percentage change | -3.02 Percentage change | 10.94 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0514 Percentage change | -3.39 Percentage change | 6.79 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.02 Percentage change | -2.65 Percentage change | 11.82 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1576 Percentage change | -3.78 Percentage change | 7.58 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2395 Percentage change | -5.64 Percentage change | 5.05 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2937 Percentage change | -3.87 Percentage change | 10.72 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.59 Percentage change | -4.93 Percentage change | 1.95 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.73 Percentage change | -10.72 Percentage change | -0.8261 Percentage change | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More environment data for Sierra Leone
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.232 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.28 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.72 % 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 1.11 % 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 historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone?
- Historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in Sierra Leone was -5.39 Percentage change in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 11.82 Percentage change in 1972.
- What is the lowest historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.72 Percentage change in 2024.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly?
- Sierra Leone ranks 108th out of 168 countries with data for 2025.
- Is historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Historical 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 (0 to 7 cm) 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 1981-2024 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 based on the ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset. Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org