Historical 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 (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...

Countries reporting
232
Highest
14.18 Percentage change
Palau
Lowest
-80.98 Percentage change
United Arab Emirates
Median
-3.47 Percentage change
Years covered
76
1950–2025
Data points
256,500

What the numbers show

Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly is currently reported for 232 countries. The highest value is 14.18 Percentage change in Palau; the lowest is -80.98 Percentage change in United Arab Emirates.

The median across all reporting countries is -3.47 Percentage change, and the mean is -6.65 Percentage change.

Over the past decade 90 countries rose and 142 fell. The largest increase was in Panama (up 2,957.5%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 6,767.5%).

Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Palau 14.18 Percentage change 2025 up 359.3% volatile
2 Turks and Caicos Islands 11.79 Percentage change 2025 up 277.3% volatile
3 India 11.05 Percentage change 2025 up 680.4% volatile
4 Mauritius 9.92 Percentage change 2025 up 170.9% volatile
5 Northern Mariana Islands 8.23 Percentage change 2025 up 312.5% volatile
6 New Caledonia 7.82 Percentage change 2025 up 327.3% volatile
7 Philippines 6.85 Percentage change 2025 up 382.7% volatile
8 San Marino 6.82 Percentage change 2025 up 0.9% volatile
9 Botswana 6.04 Percentage change 2025 up 342.6% volatile
10 Panama 5.66 Percentage change 2025 up 2,957.5% volatile
11 South Africa 5.46 Percentage change 2025 up 214.7% volatile
12 Sri Lanka 5.24 Percentage change 2025 down 56.5% volatile
13 Niger 4.49 Percentage change 2025 up 208.8% volatile
14 Svalbard and Jan Mayen 4.16 Percentage change 2025 up 56.1% volatile
15 Holy See 4.1 Percentage change 2025 up 316.1% volatile
16 Finland 3.9 Percentage change 2025 up 16.4% volatile
17 Iceland 3.89 Percentage change 2025 up 804.5% volatile
18 Nicaragua 3.64 Percentage change 2025 up 219.0% volatile
19 Faroe Islands 3.37 Percentage change 2025 down 19.7% volatile
20 Greece 3.36 Percentage change 2025 down 69.6% volatile
21 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 3.16 Percentage change 2025 up 194.0% volatile
22 Martinique 3.12 Percentage change 2025 up 134.0% volatile
23 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 3.08 Percentage change 2025 up 473.1% volatile
24 Dominica 3.05 Percentage change 2025 up 143.4% volatile
25 Zimbabwe 2.93 Percentage change 2025 down 19.4% volatile
26 Costa Rica 2.9 Percentage change 2025 up 808.3% volatile
27 Isle of Man 2.85 Percentage change 2025 up 18.5% volatile
28 Nepal 2.73 Percentage change 2025 down 34.9% volatile
29 Ireland 2.51 Percentage change 2025 up 77.8% volatile
30 Vanuatu 2.29 Percentage change 2025 up 125.0% volatile
31 Northern Ireland 2.21 Percentage change 2025 down 19.0% volatile
32 North Macedonia 2.21 Percentage change 2025 up 19.1% volatile
33 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2.19 Percentage change 2025 up 120.8% volatile
34 Italy 2.04 Percentage change 2025 up 23.0% volatile
35 Papua New Guinea 1.56 Percentage change 2025 up 257.7% volatile
36 French Guiana 1.45 Percentage change 2025 up 148.6% volatile
37 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 1.44 Percentage change 2025 up 252.3% volatile
38 Thailand 1.44 Percentage change 2025 up 130.7% volatile
39 Suriname 1.4 Percentage change 2025 up 173.6% volatile
40 Indonesia 1.36 Percentage change 2025 up 133.4% volatile
41 Scotland 1.26 Percentage change 2025 down 64.2% volatile
42 Sweden 1.1 Percentage change 2025 down 73.1% volatile
43 Norway 0.9857 Percentage change 2025 down 58.0% volatile
44 Liechtenstein 0.7508 Percentage change 2025 up 128.8% volatile
45 Mexico 0.6859 Percentage change 2025 down 95.9% volatile
46 Hokkaido 0.6565 Percentage change 2025 down 13.3% volatile
47 Albania 0.6356 Percentage change 2025 up 47.2% volatile
48 Guam 0.5909 Percentage change 2025 down 85.8% volatile
49 Cambodia 0.5487 Percentage change 2025 up 107.1% volatile
50 Guadeloupe 0.493 Percentage change 2025 up 106.0% volatile
51 Chinese Taipei 0.4698 Percentage change 2025 up 125.2% volatile
52 Peru 0.4511 Percentage change 2025 up 206.2% volatile
53 Colombia 0.4233 Percentage change 2025 up 125.0% volatile
54 Greenland 0.3961 Percentage change 2025 up 179.1% volatile
55 Ecuador 0.3767 Percentage change 2025 down 77.4% volatile
56 Samoa 0.3482 Percentage change 2025 up 110.1% volatile
57 Bhutan 0.2782 Percentage change 2025 up 127.2% volatile
58 Myanmar -0.016 Percentage change 2025 up 91.9% volatile
59 Belarus -0.1734 Percentage change 2025 up 98.1% volatile
60 New Zealand -0.2131 Percentage change 2025 up 91.3% volatile
61 Luxembourg -0.2585 Percentage change 2025 up 91.2% volatile
62 Switzerland -0.2925 Percentage change 2025 up 89.1% volatile
63 Puerto Rico -0.4091 Percentage change 2025 up 91.8% volatile
64 Portugal -0.6043 Percentage change 2025 up 93.7% volatile
65 Corsica (region, level 2) -0.6597 Percentage change 2025 down 512.6% volatile
66 Honduras -0.6894 Percentage change 2025 down 39.1% volatile
67 Malawi -0.9153 Percentage change 2025 up 62.2% volatile
68 Montenegro -0.9561 Percentage change 2025 up 70.0% volatile
69 Solomon Islands -1 Percentage change 2025 down 67.0% volatile
70 Senegal -1.15 Percentage change 2025 down 142.1% volatile
71 Malta -1.15 Percentage change 2025 down 121.2% volatile
72 Andorra -1.28 Percentage change 2025 down 4,270.7% volatile
73 Bulgaria -1.39 Percentage change 2025 down 144.2% volatile
74 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur -1.54 Percentage change 2025 up 63.2% volatile
75 Trinidad and Tobago -1.54 Percentage change 2025 up 61.5% volatile
76 Malaysia -1.65 Percentage change 2025 down 369.9% volatile
77 Spain -1.67 Percentage change 2025 up 45.1% volatile
78 Singapore -1.71 Percentage change 2025 up 73.0% volatile
79 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes -1.73 Percentage change 2025 up 70.4% volatile
80 Russian Federation -1.76 Percentage change 2025 down 59.8% volatile
81 Lao People's Democratic Republic -1.77 Percentage change 2025 up 51.2% volatile
82 Wales -1.86 Percentage change 2025 down 185.3% volatile
83 Kosovo -1.95 Percentage change 2025 down 33.6% volatile
84 Austria -1.98 Percentage change 2025 up 33.4% volatile
85 Saint Lucia -2.19 Percentage change 2025 up 84.4% volatile
86 Brunei Darussalam -2.26 Percentage change 2025 down 331.8% volatile
87 Grand Est -2.34 Percentage change 2025 up 46.9% volatile
88 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté -2.43 Percentage change 2025 up 44.1% volatile
89 France -2.44 Percentage change 2025 up 14.3% volatile
90 Canada -2.52 Percentage change 2025 down 3,003.5% volatile
91 Advanced economies -2.55 Percentage change 2025 down 104.3% volatile
92 Bangladesh -2.59 Percentage change 2025 down 402.6% volatile
93 Occitanie -2.61 Percentage change 2025 down 17.5% volatile
94 OECD -2.62 Percentage change 2025 down 268.2% volatile
95 United States of America -2.64 Percentage change 2025 down 19.2% volatile
96 Guinea-Bissau -2.65 Percentage change 2025 down 33.8% volatile
97 Denmark -2.66 Percentage change 2025 down 125.4% volatile
98 Chile -2.67 Percentage change 2025 down 82.7% volatile
99 North West England -2.7 Percentage change 2025 down 165.8% volatile
100 Czechia -2.82 Percentage change 2025 up 57.5% volatile
101 Angola -2.86 Percentage change 2025 down 31.1% volatile
102 Guinea -2.88 Percentage change 2025 down 18.1% volatile
103 Guyana -2.92 Percentage change 2025 up 5.3% volatile
104 Jamaica -2.93 Percentage change 2025 up 71.6% volatile
105 Zambia -2.98 Percentage change 2025 down 175.4% volatile
106 Namibia -2.99 Percentage change 2025 up 50.1% volatile
107 Haiti -3.01 Percentage change 2025 up 41.0% volatile
108 Antigua and Barbuda -3.03 Percentage change 2025 up 72.4% volatile
109 Jersey -3.05 Percentage change 2025 down 251.9% volatile
110 Tohoku -3.1 Percentage change 2025 up 2.2% volatile
111 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of -3.12 Percentage change 2025 up 26.7% volatile
112 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland -3.13 Percentage change 2025 down 227.8% volatile
113 Centre - Val de Loire -3.3 Percentage change 2025 down 3,904.7% volatile
114 El Salvador -3.31 Percentage change 2025 up 19.9% volatile
115 Hokuriku -3.39 Percentage change 2025 down 127.9% volatile
116 Saxony -3.44 Percentage change 2025 up 10.1% volatile
117 Rhineland-Palatinate -3.51 Percentage change 2025 down 2.0% volatile
118 Uruguay -3.58 Percentage change 2025 up 23.7% volatile
119 Mozambique -3.62 Percentage change 2025 up 18.4% volatile
120 Belize -3.66 Percentage change 2025 down 1,647.9% volatile
121 Bosnia and Herzegovina -3.8 Percentage change 2025 down 192.3% volatile
122 Heard Island and McDonald Islands -3.84 Percentage change 2025 up 36.0% volatile
123 Nouvelle-Aquitaine -3.87 Percentage change 2025 down 72.8% volatile
124 Burundi -3.89 Percentage change 2025 down 2,140.4% volatile
125 Macau, China -3.98 Percentage change 2025 up 61.4% volatile
126 Thuringia -4.01 Percentage change 2025 down 15.5% volatile
127 Germany -4.12 Percentage change 2025 down 167.6% volatile
128 Gambia -4.15 Percentage change 2025 down 181.7% volatile
129 Dominican Republic -4.17 Percentage change 2025 up 45.6% volatile
130 Liberia -4.21 Percentage change 2025 down 45.7% volatile
131 Kazakhstan -4.3 Percentage change 2025 down 47.3% volatile
132 Australia and New Zealand -4.39 Percentage change 2025 down 35.7% volatile
133 French Polynesia -4.42 Percentage change 2025 down 17.8% volatile
134 Gabon -4.44 Percentage change 2025 down 52.8% volatile
135 Guatemala -4.45 Percentage change 2025 down 1,452.4% volatile
136 Serbia -4.51 Percentage change 2025 down 738.0% volatile
137 Japan -4.51 Percentage change 2025 down 508.2% volatile
138 Romania -4.68 Percentage change 2025 down 6,767.5% volatile
139 Brittany -4.68 Percentage change 2025 down 450.7% volatile
140 Saxony-Anhalt -4.72 Percentage change 2025 down 1,189.3% volatile
141 Australia -4.75 Percentage change 2025 down 43.6% volatile
142 Schleswig-Holstein -4.94 Percentage change 2025 down 203.6% volatile
143 Kyushu, Okinawa -5.01 Percentage change 2025 down 221.3% volatile
144 Monaco -5.01 Percentage change 2025 up 21.5% volatile
145 South West England -5.04 Percentage change 2025 down 354.5% volatile
146 Bahamas -5.18 Percentage change 2025 up 42.0% volatile
147 Cyprus -5.28 Percentage change 2025 down 145.8% volatile
148 Cuba -5.3 Percentage change 2025 up 42.6% volatile
149 Sierra Leone -5.4 Percentage change 2025 down 40.7% volatile
150 Belgium -5.46 Percentage change 2025 down 3,811.3% volatile
151 Mongolia -5.5 Percentage change 2025 up 55.1% volatile
152 Hungary -5.55 Percentage change 2025 down 202.1% volatile
153 Rwanda -5.64 Percentage change 2025 down 267.6% volatile
154 Nigeria -5.73 Percentage change 2025 down 81.7% volatile
155 North Rhine-Westphalia -5.82 Percentage change 2025 down 356.3% volatile
156 Pays de la Loire -5.88 Percentage change 2025 down 1,102.4% volatile
157 Argentina -5.89 Percentage change 2025 down 49.3% volatile
158 Hong Kong, China -5.98 Percentage change 2025 up 41.9% volatile
159 Georgia -6.11 Percentage change 2025 down 93.5% volatile
160 Bolivia, Plurinational State of -6.2 Percentage change 2025 down 359.4% volatile
161 Hauts-de-France -6.42 Percentage change 2025 down 233.8% volatile
162 North East England -6.59 Percentage change 2025 down 432.9% volatile
163 Mali -6.69 Percentage change 2025 down 1,242.9% volatile
164 Kyrgyzstan -6.71 Percentage change 2025 down 382.3% volatile
165 Chugoku -6.75 Percentage change 2025 down 1,031.8% volatile
166 Normandy -6.81 Percentage change 2025 down 764.8% volatile
167 Northern-Kanto, Koshin -6.84 Percentage change 2025 down 111.7% volatile
168 Toukai -6.92 Percentage change 2025 down 146.8% volatile
169 Brazil -6.93 Percentage change 2025 down 72.8% volatile
170 Burkina Faso -7.27 Percentage change 2025 down 750.9% volatile
171 Kansai region -7.39 Percentage change 2025 down 279.5% volatile
172 South East England -7.41 Percentage change 2025 down 2,768.2% volatile
173 Tanzania, United Republic of -7.52 Percentage change 2025 down 323.9% volatile
174 Yorkshire and The Humber -7.74 Percentage change 2025 down 445.0% volatile
175 Shikoku -7.79 Percentage change 2025 down 1,483.4% volatile
176 Ukraine -7.91 Percentage change 2025 down 17.8% volatile
177 Kenya -8.08 Percentage change 2025 down 529.6% volatile
178 Cameroon -8.11 Percentage change 2025 down 117.6% volatile
179 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -8.15 Percentage change 2025 up 40.9% volatile
180 Grenada -8.38 Percentage change 2025 up 31.9% volatile
181 Barbados -8.41 Percentage change 2025 up 19.0% volatile
182 Paraguay -8.73 Percentage change 2025 down 467.9% volatile
183 Greater London -9.06 Percentage change 2025 down 651.9% volatile
184 Comoros -9.29 Percentage change 2025 down 15.6% volatile
185 West Midlands -9.38 Percentage change 2025 down 669.4% volatile
186 East Midlands -9.5 Percentage change 2025 down 517.9% volatile
187 Benin -9.6 Percentage change 2025 down 217.5% volatile
188 Congo -9.96 Percentage change 2025 down 55.1% volatile
189 Côte d’Ivoire -10.2 Percentage change 2025 down 192.0% volatile
190 East of England -10.25 Percentage change 2025 down 421.5% volatile
191 Pakistan -10.53 Percentage change 2025 down 246.6% volatile
192 Armenia -10.94 Percentage change 2025 down 3,214.8% volatile
193 Chad -10.96 Percentage change 2025 down 0.7% volatile
194 Uganda -11.7 Percentage change 2025 down 210.4% volatile
195 Southern-Kanto -11.71 Percentage change 2025 down 376.3% volatile
196 Togo -11.71 Percentage change 2025 down 325.4% volatile
197 Lebanon -12.11 Percentage change 2025 down 345.1% volatile
198 Eritrea -12.24 Percentage change 2025 up 44.0% volatile
199 Azerbaijan -12.64 Percentage change 2025 down 256.0% volatile
200 Tajikistan -13.2 Percentage change 2025 down 353.0% volatile
201 Ghana -13.57 Percentage change 2025 down 163.4% volatile
202 Tunisia -14.25 Percentage change 2025 down 330.9% volatile
203 Sudan -15.6 Percentage change 2025 down 31.0% volatile
204 Israel -15.63 Percentage change 2025 down 927.1% volatile
205 Aruba -16.08 Percentage change 2025 up 42.3% volatile
206 Palestine, State of -16.31 Percentage change 2025 down 720.6% volatile
207 Mayotte -16.93 Percentage change 2025 down 194.3% volatile
208 Sao Tome and Principe -16.99 Percentage change 2025 down 40.2% volatile
209 Central African Republic -17.69 Percentage change 2025 down 134.3% volatile
210 South Sudan -18.33 Percentage change 2025 down 167.1% volatile
211 Uzbekistan -18.62 Percentage change 2025 down 1,198.6% volatile
212 Morocco -19.84 Percentage change 2025 down 313.8% volatile
213 Afghanistan -19.95 Percentage change 2025 down 437.3% volatile
214 Egypt -20.54 Percentage change 2025 down 855.1% volatile
215 Montserrat -23.7 Percentage change 2025 up 5.5% volatile
216 Cayman Islands -26.41 Percentage change 2025 down 82.1% volatile
217 Algeria -26.91 Percentage change 2025 down 639.6% volatile
218 Somalia -28.64 Percentage change 2025 down 396.1% volatile
219 Iran, Islamic Republic of -30.46 Percentage change 2025 down 547.4% volatile
220 Turkmenistan -34.8 Percentage change 2025 down 491.8% volatile
221 Libya -35.17 Percentage change 2025 down 437.8% volatile
222 Yemen -36.73 Percentage change 2025 down 7.7% volatile
223 Iraq -38.03 Percentage change 2025 down 352.6% volatile
224 Jordan -40.96 Percentage change 2025 down 1,855.3% volatile
225 Bahrain -43.7 Percentage change 2025 down 1,048.5% volatile
226 Saudi Arabia -52.52 Percentage change 2025 down 148.7% volatile
227 Djibouti -57.06 Percentage change 2025 down 33.8% volatile
228 Kuwait -57.51 Percentage change 2025 down 80.8% volatile
229 Qatar -61.67 Percentage change 2025 down 397.1% volatile
230 Western Sahara -62.29 Percentage change 2025 down 163.3% volatile
231 Oman -62.46 Percentage change 2025 down 23.7% volatile
232 United Arab Emirates -80.98 Percentage change 2025 down 43.6% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly by country. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/historical-exposure-to-drought-land-soil-moisture-anomaly/

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About this data

Indicator
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly
Unit
Percentage change
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
3,375 places, 256,500 data points, 1950–2025
Last refreshed

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