Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in World
World: Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly was -2.99 Percentage change in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in World, 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 World stood at -2.99 Percentage change.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.3% on the previous year and down 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in World peaked at 2.57 Percentage change in 1985 and was at its lowest, -4.1 Percentage change, in 2023.
World ranks 1642nd of 2960 groups 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.
Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in World, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -0.8561 Percentage change | — |
| 1951 | -1.17 Percentage change | +36.2% |
| 1952 | -1.72 Percentage change | +47.8% |
| 1953 | 0.0774 Percentage change | -104.5% |
| 1954 | -0.7555 Percentage change | -1075.5% |
| 1955 | -0.7991 Percentage change | +5.8% |
| 1956 | 0.8413 Percentage change | -205.3% |
| 1957 | -0.3175 Percentage change | -137.7% |
| 1958 | -0.1138 Percentage change | -64.1% |
| 1959 | -0.6931 Percentage change | +508.9% |
| 1960 | -1.12 Percentage change | +61.1% |
| 1961 | -1.56 Percentage change | +39.7% |
| 1962 | -1.15 Percentage change | -26.4% |
| 1963 | -1.08 Percentage change | -6.2% |
| 1964 | 0.1054 Percentage change | -109.8% |
| 1965 | -1.82 Percentage change | -1827.1% |
| 1966 | -2.55 Percentage change | +40.0% |
| 1967 | -0.8419 Percentage change | -67.0% |
| 1968 | 0.3197 Percentage change | -138.0% |
| 1969 | 0.1843 Percentage change | -42.3% |
| 1970 | 0.4793 Percentage change | +160.0% |
| 1971 | 1.77 Percentage change | +269.8% |
| 1972 | 1.49 Percentage change | -15.8% |
| 1973 | 2.43 Percentage change | +63.0% |
| 1974 | 1.24 Percentage change | -49.2% |
| 1975 | 0.9657 Percentage change | -21.8% |
| 1976 | 0.9056 Percentage change | -6.2% |
| 1977 | 1.13 Percentage change | +24.9% |
| 1978 | 2.24 Percentage change | +98.5% |
| 1979 | 1.11 Percentage change | -50.5% |
| 1980 | 1.63 Percentage change | +46.6% |
| 1981 | 1.77 Percentage change | +8.8% |
| 1982 | 1.02 Percentage change | -42.2% |
| 1983 | 0.655 Percentage change | -36.1% |
| 1984 | 1.28 Percentage change | +95.8% |
| 1985 | 2.57 Percentage change | +100.3% |
| 1986 | 1.08 Percentage change | -57.9% |
| 1987 | 0.2244 Percentage change | -79.3% |
| 1988 | 0.3494 Percentage change | +55.7% |
| 1989 | 0.4433 Percentage change | +26.9% |
| 1990 | 1.68 Percentage change | +279.6% |
| 1991 | -0.1926 Percentage change | -111.4% |
| 1992 | 0.0976 Percentage change | -150.7% |
| 1993 | 1.82 Percentage change | +1765.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0359 Percentage change | -98.0% |
| 1995 | 0.114 Percentage change | +217.3% |
| 1996 | 1.51 Percentage change | +1223.8% |
| 1997 | 0.6867 Percentage change | -54.5% |
| 1998 | 0.9344 Percentage change | +36.1% |
| 1999 | -0.6779 Percentage change | -172.6% |
| 2000 | -0.3765 Percentage change | -44.5% |
| 2001 | -0.6303 Percentage change | +67.4% |
| 2002 | -2.74 Percentage change | +334.7% |
| 2003 | -0.5583 Percentage change | -79.6% |
| 2004 | -0.9856 Percentage change | +76.5% |
| 2005 | -1.02 Percentage change | +3.3% |
| 2006 | -1.85 Percentage change | +81.3% |
| 2007 | -2.43 Percentage change | +31.7% |
| 2008 | -1.86 Percentage change | -23.5% |
| 2009 | -2.71 Percentage change | +46.0% |
| 2010 | -0.2554 Percentage change | -90.6% |
| 2011 | -2.47 Percentage change | +867.6% |
| 2012 | -3.2 Percentage change | +29.4% |
| 2013 | -0.9461 Percentage change | -70.4% |
| 2014 | -1.78 Percentage change | +88.4% |
| 2015 | -2.08 Percentage change | +16.6% |
| 2016 | -1.07 Percentage change | -48.3% |
| 2017 | -1.68 Percentage change | +56.5% |
| 2018 | -2.09 Percentage change | +24.5% |
| 2019 | -2.65 Percentage change | +26.8% |
| 2020 | -2.35 Percentage change | -11.3% |
| 2021 | -3.53 Percentage change | +49.7% |
| 2022 | -3.15 Percentage change | -10.6% |
| 2023 | -4.1 Percentage change | +30.2% |
| 2024 | -3.45 Percentage change | -15.9% |
| 2025 | -2.99 Percentage change | -13.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly in World 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | -1827.1% | 0.1054 Percentage change | -1.82 Percentage change |
| 1993 | +1765.0% | 0.0976 Percentage change | 1.82 Percentage change |
| 1996 | +1223.8% | 0.114 Percentage change | 1.51 Percentage change |
| 1954 | -1075.5% | 0.0774 Percentage change | -0.7555 Percentage change |
| 2011 | -867.6% | -0.2554 Percentage change | -2.47 Percentage change |
| 1959 | -508.9% | -0.1138 Percentage change | -0.6931 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | -0.5505 Percentage change | -1.72 Percentage change | 0.8413 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1960s | -0.9507 Percentage change | -2.55 Percentage change | 0.3197 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.38 Percentage change | 0.4793 Percentage change | 2.43 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1 Percentage change | 0.2244 Percentage change | 2.57 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.601 Percentage change | -0.6779 Percentage change | 1.82 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.52 Percentage change | -2.74 Percentage change | -0.3765 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.82 Percentage change | -3.2 Percentage change | -0.2554 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.26 Percentage change | -4.1 Percentage change | -2.35 Percentage change | 6 |
More environment data for World
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.208 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.88 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 4.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.27 % 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 0.2123 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in World?
- Historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly in World was -2.99 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 2.57 Percentage change in 1985.
- What is the lowest historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.1 Percentage change in 2023.
- How does World rank for historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly?
- World ranks 1642nd out of 2960 groups with data for 2025.
- Is historical exposure to drought — cropland soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this World 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