Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland
Iceland: Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly was 3.89 Percentage change in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland, 1950–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
In 2025, historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland stood at 3.89 Percentage change.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 61.2% on the previous year and up 804.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland peaked at 4.96 Percentage change in 2022 and was at its lowest, -6.19 Percentage change, in 2010.
Iceland ranks 17th of 191 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.1252 Percentage change | — |
| 1951 | 0.8088 Percentage change | +546.3% |
| 1952 | 0.669 Percentage change | -17.3% |
| 1953 | -2.07 Percentage change | -409.1% |
| 1954 | -1.4 Percentage change | -32.5% |
| 1955 | -0.3407 Percentage change | -75.6% |
| 1956 | -0.8171 Percentage change | +139.8% |
| 1957 | 1.46 Percentage change | -279.0% |
| 1958 | 0.3475 Percentage change | -76.2% |
| 1959 | 1.44 Percentage change | +314.2% |
| 1960 | -4.45 Percentage change | -408.9% |
| 1961 | 2.62 Percentage change | -159.0% |
| 1962 | 2.31 Percentage change | -11.8% |
| 1963 | 0.934 Percentage change | -59.6% |
| 1964 | 3.86 Percentage change | +312.9% |
| 1965 | -0.423 Percentage change | -111.0% |
| 1966 | 1.63 Percentage change | -485.7% |
| 1967 | -0.5706 Percentage change | -135.0% |
| 1968 | 1.09 Percentage change | -291.7% |
| 1969 | 1.24 Percentage change | +13.8% |
| 1970 | -1.87 Percentage change | -250.3% |
| 1971 | 3.62 Percentage change | -293.4% |
| 1972 | 3.95 Percentage change | +9.3% |
| 1973 | 1.04 Percentage change | -73.8% |
| 1974 | 1.01 Percentage change | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 1.18 Percentage change | +16.4% |
| 1976 | 0.2335 Percentage change | -80.2% |
| 1977 | -1.05 Percentage change | -549.5% |
| 1978 | -1.13 Percentage change | +7.5% |
| 1979 | -0.2045 Percentage change | -81.9% |
| 1980 | 1.57 Percentage change | -869.5% |
| 1981 | 0.9757 Percentage change | -38.0% |
| 1982 | 2.07 Percentage change | +112.2% |
| 1983 | 2.22 Percentage change | +7.1% |
| 1984 | -0.8073 Percentage change | -136.4% |
| 1985 | 0.1079 Percentage change | -113.4% |
| 1986 | -2.17 Percentage change | -2109.8% |
| 1987 | 1.03 Percentage change | -147.4% |
| 1988 | 0.8005 Percentage change | -22.1% |
| 1989 | 4.21 Percentage change | +426.3% |
| 1990 | 2.06 Percentage change | -51.2% |
| 1991 | -2.15 Percentage change | -204.8% |
| 1992 | 1.58 Percentage change | -173.2% |
| 1993 | 2.79 Percentage change | +77.3% |
| 1994 | -1.99 Percentage change | -171.3% |
| 1995 | -3.42 Percentage change | +71.5% |
| 1996 | 0.1254 Percentage change | -103.7% |
| 1997 | 3.15 Percentage change | +2413.8% |
| 1998 | -0.7934 Percentage change | -125.2% |
| 1999 | -1.37 Percentage change | +72.2% |
| 2000 | -2.36 Percentage change | +72.9% |
| 2001 | -0.8241 Percentage change | -65.1% |
| 2002 | -0.1535 Percentage change | -81.4% |
| 2003 | 0.295 Percentage change | -292.2% |
| 2004 | 0.1758 Percentage change | -40.4% |
| 2005 | -0.4327 Percentage change | -346.1% |
| 2006 | 1.66 Percentage change | -483.3% |
| 2007 | 2.89 Percentage change | +74.4% |
| 2008 | -3.57 Percentage change | -223.5% |
| 2009 | 0.1004 Percentage change | -102.8% |
| 2010 | -6.19 Percentage change | -6271.3% |
| 2011 | 2.42 Percentage change | -139.0% |
| 2012 | -3.34 Percentage change | -238.0% |
| 2013 | -0.7863 Percentage change | -76.4% |
| 2014 | 2.62 Percentage change | -432.8% |
| 2015 | -0.5525 Percentage change | -121.1% |
| 2016 | 0.0223 Percentage change | -104.0% |
| 2017 | 1.69 Percentage change | +7486.7% |
| 2018 | 2.29 Percentage change | +35.3% |
| 2019 | -3.5 Percentage change | -253.3% |
| 2020 | 2.92 Percentage change | -183.3% |
| 2021 | -3.68 Percentage change | -225.9% |
| 2022 | 4.96 Percentage change | -234.9% |
| 2023 | -2.02 Percentage change | -140.6% |
| 2024 | 2.41 Percentage change | -219.8% |
| 2025 | 3.89 Percentage change | +61.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.89 Percentage change is above the median for high income countries, which is -1.98 Percentage change. (65 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.89 Percentage change is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is -1.76 Percentage change. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +7486.7% | 0.0223 Percentage change | 1.69 Percentage change |
| 2010 | -6271.3% | 0.1004 Percentage change | -6.19 Percentage change |
| 1997 | +2413.8% | 0.1254 Percentage change | 3.15 Percentage change |
| 1986 | -2109.8% | 0.1079 Percentage change | -2.17 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.023 Percentage change | -2.07 Percentage change | 1.46 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.8258 Percentage change | -4.45 Percentage change | 3.86 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.6781 Percentage change | -1.87 Percentage change | 3.95 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1980s | 1 Percentage change | -2.17 Percentage change | 4.21 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.002 Percentage change | -3.42 Percentage change | 3.15 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2222 Percentage change | -3.57 Percentage change | 2.89 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5342 Percentage change | -6.19 Percentage change | 2.62 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.42 Percentage change | -3.68 Percentage change | 4.96 Percentage change | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 14 Svalbard and Jan Mayen 4.16 Percentage change compare
- 15 Holy See 4.1 Percentage change compare
- 16 Finland 3.9 Percentage change compare
- 16 Croatia -1.13 Percentage change compare
- 18 Nicaragua 3.64 Percentage change compare
- 19 Faroe Islands 3.37 Percentage change compare
- 20 Greece 3.36 Percentage change compare
More environment data for Iceland
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % 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)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 7.14 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland?
- Historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in Iceland was 3.89 Percentage change in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.96 Percentage change in 2022.
- What is the lowest historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.19 Percentage change in 2010.
- How does Iceland rank for historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly?
- Iceland ranks 17th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 804.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Historical 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 (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