Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand
New Zealand: Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly was -0.2131 Percentage change in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand, 1950–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage change.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded -0.2131 Percentage change for historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in 2025.
The figure is up 89.0% on the previous year and up 91.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand peaked at 6.13 Percentage change in 1980 and was at its lowest, -9.62 Percentage change, in 1954.
New Zealand ranks 57th of 191 countries 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 — Land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Percentage change | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -5.01 Percentage change | — |
| 1951 | 3.6 Percentage change | -171.9% |
| 1952 | 0.4095 Percentage change | -88.6% |
| 1953 | -1.15 Percentage change | -381.4% |
| 1954 | -9.62 Percentage change | +734.6% |
| 1955 | -2.67 Percentage change | -72.2% |
| 1956 | -0.8781 Percentage change | -67.2% |
| 1957 | -0.8267 Percentage change | -5.8% |
| 1958 | -3.72 Percentage change | +349.6% |
| 1959 | -3.47 Percentage change | -6.5% |
| 1960 | -0.8245 Percentage change | -76.3% |
| 1961 | -2.98 Percentage change | +260.9% |
| 1962 | 0.3748 Percentage change | -112.6% |
| 1963 | -3.93 Percentage change | -1148.2% |
| 1964 | -1.27 Percentage change | -67.6% |
| 1965 | 2.63 Percentage change | -306.4% |
| 1966 | 2.88 Percentage change | +9.8% |
| 1967 | 1.9 Percentage change | -34.3% |
| 1968 | 1.71 Percentage change | -9.6% |
| 1969 | -0.0472 Percentage change | -102.8% |
| 1970 | -0.6676 Percentage change | +1313.4% |
| 1971 | -1.51 Percentage change | +126.7% |
| 1972 | -0.2884 Percentage change | -80.9% |
| 1973 | -5.6 Percentage change | +1842.0% |
| 1974 | -3.86 Percentage change | -31.1% |
| 1975 | 2.81 Percentage change | -172.8% |
| 1976 | 1.55 Percentage change | -44.8% |
| 1977 | 2.22 Percentage change | +43.1% |
| 1978 | -6.6 Percentage change | -397.6% |
| 1979 | 3.75 Percentage change | -156.8% |
| 1980 | 6.13 Percentage change | +63.4% |
| 1981 | -0.8503 Percentage change | -113.9% |
| 1982 | 3.88 Percentage change | -556.1% |
| 1983 | -0.9165 Percentage change | -123.6% |
| 1984 | 1.18 Percentage change | -229.0% |
| 1985 | -1.55 Percentage change | -231.3% |
| 1986 | 4.35 Percentage change | -380.2% |
| 1987 | 3.38 Percentage change | -22.4% |
| 1988 | -2.79 Percentage change | -182.7% |
| 1989 | 0.0685 Percentage change | -102.5% |
| 1990 | 0.1685 Percentage change | +146.0% |
| 1991 | 3.14 Percentage change | +1764.6% |
| 1992 | 0.7084 Percentage change | -77.5% |
| 1993 | 1.27 Percentage change | +79.4% |
| 1994 | -2.51 Percentage change | -297.2% |
| 1995 | 3.22 Percentage change | -228.3% |
| 1996 | 0.4617 Percentage change | -85.6% |
| 1997 | -2.06 Percentage change | -545.4% |
| 1998 | 0.0467 Percentage change | -102.3% |
| 1999 | -3.19 Percentage change | -6930.5% |
| 2000 | 1.01 Percentage change | -131.7% |
| 2001 | -2.44 Percentage change | -342.0% |
| 2002 | -0.7795 Percentage change | -68.1% |
| 2003 | -1.45 Percentage change | +85.8% |
| 2004 | 4.99 Percentage change | -444.7% |
| 2005 | -2.42 Percentage change | -148.6% |
| 2006 | -1.82 Percentage change | -24.8% |
| 2007 | -1.2 Percentage change | -34.4% |
| 2008 | -1.19 Percentage change | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.9579 Percentage change | -180.4% |
| 2010 | -3.66 Percentage change | -482.2% |
| 2011 | -1.67 Percentage change | -54.3% |
| 2012 | 0.3421 Percentage change | -120.5% |
| 2013 | -5.88 Percentage change | -1819.5% |
| 2014 | -2.21 Percentage change | -62.5% |
| 2015 | -2.44 Percentage change | +10.3% |
| 2016 | -2.54 Percentage change | +4.4% |
| 2017 | -0.2424 Percentage change | -90.5% |
| 2018 | 4.26 Percentage change | -1858.3% |
| 2019 | -1.87 Percentage change | -143.9% |
| 2020 | -4.63 Percentage change | +147.4% |
| 2021 | -2.61 Percentage change | -43.6% |
| 2022 | -1.52 Percentage change | -41.9% |
| 2023 | 2.76 Percentage change | -281.8% |
| 2024 | -1.94 Percentage change | -170.3% |
| 2025 | -0.2131 Percentage change | -89.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's -0.2131 Percentage change is above the median for high income countries, which is -1.98 Percentage change, 11% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's -0.2131 Percentage change is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.1661 Percentage change. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | -6930.5% | 0.0467 Percentage change | -3.19 Percentage change |
| 1973 | -1842.0% | -0.2884 Percentage change | -5.6 Percentage change |
| 2018 | +1858.3% | -0.2424 Percentage change | 4.26 Percentage change |
| 2013 | -1819.5% | 0.3421 Percentage change | -5.88 Percentage change |
| 1991 | +1764.6% | 0.1685 Percentage change | 3.14 Percentage change |
| 1970 | -1313.4% | -0.0472 Percentage change | -0.6676 Percentage change |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | -2.33 Percentage change | -9.62 Percentage change | 3.6 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.0446 Percentage change | -3.93 Percentage change | 2.88 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1970s | -0.8204 Percentage change | -6.6 Percentage change | 3.75 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.29 Percentage change | -2.79 Percentage change | 6.13 Percentage change | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1263 Percentage change | -3.19 Percentage change | 3.22 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.4346 Percentage change | -2.44 Percentage change | 4.99 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.59 Percentage change | -5.88 Percentage change | 4.26 Percentage change | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.36 Percentage change | -4.63 Percentage change | 2.76 Percentage change | 6 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 54 Bhutan 0.2782 Percentage change compare
- 55 Myanmar -0.016 Percentage change compare
- 56 Belarus -0.1734 Percentage change compare
- 57 Moldova -10.25 Percentage change compare
- 58 Luxembourg -0.2585 Percentage change compare
- 59 Switzerland -0.2925 Percentage change compare
- 60 Puerto Rico -0.4091 Percentage change compare
More environment data for New Zealand
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0.1365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.474 % 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 -0.9337 % 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 — land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand?
- Historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly in New Zealand was -0.2131 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.13 Percentage change in 1980.
- What is the lowest historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was -9.62 Percentage change in 1954.
- How does New Zealand rank for historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly?
- New Zealand ranks 57th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is historical exposure to drought — land soil moisture anomaly rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 91.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand 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
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
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