Lakes and rivers permanent water area change (%) by country
Countries reporting
251
Highest
1,926.2%
Faroe Islands
Lowest
-95.5%
Montserrat
Median
11.3%
Years covered
18
2005–2022
Data points
5,200
What the numbers show
Lakes and rivers permanent water area change (%) is currently reported for 251 countries. The highest value is 1,926.2% in Faroe Islands; the lowest is -95.5% in Montserrat.
The median across all reporting countries is 11.3%, and the mean is 49.9%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 20.
Over the past decade 166 countries rose and 85 fell. The largest increase was in Mauritania (up 4,860.0%), and the largest decrease in Malta (down 117,662.0%).
Lakes and rivers permanent water area change: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faroe Islands | 1,926.2% | 2022 | up 2,026.2% | volatile |
| 2 | San Marino | 1,042.9% | 2022 | up 1,142.9% | volatile |
| 3 | Niue | 815.1% | 2022 | up 915.1% | volatile |
| 4 | Nauru | 719.9% | 2022 | up 819.9% | volatile |
| 4 | Naoero | 719.9% | 2022 | up 819.9% | volatile |
| 6 | Wallis and Futuna Islands | 546.8% | 2022 | up 870.4% | volatile |
| 7 | Norfolk Island | 385.7% | 2022 | up 485.7% | volatile |
| 8 | Saint Helena | 372.4% | 2022 | up 472.4% | volatile |
| 9 | Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 300.0% | 2022 | up 400.0% | volatile |
| 10 | Sao Tome and Principe | 299.6% | 2022 | up 399.6% | volatile |
| 11 | Pitcairn | 299.0% | 2022 | up 399.0% | volatile |
| 12 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 265.7% | 2022 | up 1,091.9% | volatile |
| 13 | Solomon Islands | 264.4% | 2022 | up 1,760.1% | volatile |
| 14 | French Polynesia | 255.2% | 2022 | up 1,427.3% | volatile |
| 15 | Kiribati | 233.4% | 2022 | up 625.6% | volatile |
| 16 | Sudan | 225.3% | 2022 | up 1,689.5% | volatile |
| 17 | Tonga | 208.3% | 2022 | up 2,966.2% | volatile |
| 18 | Tuvalu | 160.6% | 2022 | up 674.0% | volatile |
| 19 | Cook Islands | 153.5% | 2022 | up 481.9% | volatile |
| 20 | Northern Mariana Islands | 149.9% | 2022 | up 1,562.5% | volatile |
| 21 | Polynesia | 139.3% | 2022 | up 3,628.8% | volatile |
| 22 | Christmas Island | 124.2% | 2022 | up 224.2% | volatile |
| 23 | Micronesia | 120.7% | 2022 | up 1,626.8% | volatile |
| 24 | Guam | 118.7% | 2022 | up 787.6% | volatile |
| 25 | Marshall Islands | 108.9% | 2022 | up 932.9% | volatile |
| 26 | Micronesia (Federated States of) | 103.6% | 2022 | up 4,555.2% | volatile |
| 27 | Reunion | 77.4% | 2022 | up 3,129.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Réunion | 77.4% | 2022 | up 3,129.3% | volatile |
| 29 | Burkina Faso | 68.2% | 2022 | up 360.0% | volatile |
| 30 | Kuwait | 66.4% | 2022 | up 345.1% | volatile |
| 31 | Eritrea | 64.3% | 2022 | up 2,768.9% | volatile |
| 32 | Somalia | 58.4% | 2022 | up 280.1% | volatile |
| 33 | Cayman Islands | 53.3% | 2022 | up 673.3% | volatile |
| 34 | Iraq | 53.1% | 2022 | up 1,809.3% | volatile |
| 35 | Saudi Arabia | 52.8% | 2022 | up 323.5% | volatile |
| 36 | Tokelau | 52.1% | 2022 | up 510.6% | volatile |
| 37 | Jersey | 49.7% | 2022 | up 240.9% | volatile |
| 38 | Mauritania | 48.9% | 2022 | up 4,860.0% | volatile |
| 39 | Guinea | 45.4% | 2022 | up 4,405.5% | volatile |
| 40 | Grenada | 45.3% | 2022 | up 138.9% | volatile |
| 41 | Yemen | 43.6% | 2022 | up 314.5% | volatile |
| 42 | Guernsey | 42.6% | 2022 | up 471.2% | volatile |
| 43 | Fiji | 42.6% | 2022 | up 336.5% | volatile |
| 44 | Botswana | 42.1% | 2022 | up 215.1% | volatile |
| 45 | Niger | 41.4% | 2022 | up 290.7% | volatile |
| 46 | Palau | 40.9% | 2022 | up 772.5% | volatile |
| 47 | Isle of Man | 40.5% | 2022 | up 299.9% | volatile |
| 48 | Comoros | 38.8% | 2022 | up 72.5% | volatile |
| 49 | Barbados | 38.0% | 2022 | up 14.3% | volatile |
| 50 | Puerto Rico | 37.1% | 2022 | up 318.4% | volatile |
| 51 | Tunisia | 36.9% | 2022 | up 88.9% | volatile |
| 52 | Cyprus | 34.0% | 2022 | up 2,046.6% | volatile |
| 53 | Chad | 31.1% | 2022 | up 603.9% | volatile |
| 54 | Qatar | 30.6% | 2022 | up 346.7% | volatile |
| 55 | Vanuatu | 30.0% | 2022 | up 421.3% | volatile |
| 56 | Samoa | 29.9% | 2022 | up 257.4% | volatile |
| 57 | American Samoa | 28.9% | 2022 | up 604.1% | volatile |
| 58 | Slovenia | 28.1% | 2022 | up 168.9% | rising |
| 59 | Bermuda | 27.8% | 2022 | up 172.3% | rising |
| 60 | Monaco | 27.7% | 2022 | up 516.0% | volatile |
| 61 | French Southern Territories | 27.3% | 2022 | up 258.1% | volatile |
| 62 | Portugal | 26.1% | 2022 | up 53.9% | volatile |
| 63 | Greece | 24.5% | 2022 | up 170.7% | rising |
| 64 | Gabon | 24.3% | 2022 | up 142.8% | rising |
| 65 | Ireland | 24.2% | 2022 | up 408.5% | volatile |
| 66 | United Kingdom | 24.0% | 2022 | up 653.3% | volatile |
| 66 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 24.0% | 2022 | up 653.3% | volatile |
| 68 | Pakistan | 22.3% | 2022 | up 1,005.1% | volatile |
| 69 | Sri Lanka | 22.3% | 2022 | up 74.8% | rising |
| 70 | Laos | 22.3% | 2022 | up 216.3% | volatile |
| 70 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 22.3% | 2022 | up 216.3% | volatile |
| 72 | Iceland | 21.9% | 2022 | up 398.6% | volatile |
| 73 | French Guiana | 21.8% | 2022 | up 746.9% | volatile |
| 74 | Guinea-Bissau | 21.0% | 2022 | up 208.1% | volatile |
| 75 | Azerbaijan | 20.4% | 2022 | up 332.6% | volatile |
| 76 | Trinidad and Tobago | 19.5% | 2022 | down 2.5% | rising |
| 77 | Jamaica | 18.6% | 2022 | up 1,355.0% | volatile |
| 78 | Saint Lucia | 18.4% | 2022 | down 6.8% | volatile |
| 79 | Myanmar | 18.1% | 2022 | up 38.3% | rising |
| 80 | Brunei | 18.1% | 2022 | up 328.3% | volatile |
| 80 | Brunei Darussalam | 18.1% | 2022 | up 328.3% | volatile |
| 82 | Melanesia | 17.9% | 2022 | up 125.2% | volatile |
| 83 | Cuba | 17.7% | 2022 | up 427.6% | volatile |
| 84 | Albania | 17.6% | 2022 | up 87.2% | rising |
| 85 | Dominican Republic | 17.5% | 2022 | up 20.2% | volatile |
| 86 | Czechia | 17.5% | 2022 | up 77.2% | rising |
| 87 | Slovakia | 17.2% | 2022 | up 52.8% | rising |
| 88 | Bahamas | 16.6% | 2022 | up 544.0% | volatile |
| 89 | Senegal | 16.5% | 2022 | up 999.2% | volatile |
| 90 | Caribbean | 16.5% | 2022 | up 542.1% | volatile |
| 91 | Liechtenstein | 16.4% | 2022 | up 1,064.0% | volatile |
| 92 | Togo | 16.3% | 2022 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 93 | Gambia | 16.2% | 2022 | up 823.3% | volatile |
| 94 | Libya | 15.8% | 2022 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 95 | United States Virgin Islands | 15.7% | 2022 | down 26.3% | volatile |
| 96 | Hungary | 15.4% | 2022 | up 38.4% | rising |
| 97 | Croatia | 15.2% | 2022 | up 117.4% | rising |
| 98 | Italy | 15.2% | 2022 | up 29.8% | rising |
| 99 | Guyana | 15.0% | 2022 | up 1,223.0% | volatile |
| 100 | France | 14.9% | 2022 | up 49.8% | rising |
| 101 | Mauritius | 14.7% | 2022 | down 7.6% | falling |
| 102 | Spain | 14.7% | 2022 | up 19.9% | volatile |
| 103 | British Virgin Islands | 14.7% | 2022 | up 44.3% | rising |
| 104 | Ecuador | 14.4% | 2022 | up 560.3% | volatile |
| 105 | Papua New Guinea | 14.0% | 2022 | up 68.1% | volatile |
| 106 | Kenya | 13.9% | 2022 | up 50.9% | rising |
| 107 | China | 13.6% | 2022 | up 196.6% | volatile |
| 108 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13.6% | 2022 | up 114.5% | rising |
| 109 | Saint Martin (French Part) | 13.5% | 2022 | up 16.0% | flat |
| 110 | Ghana | 13.5% | 2022 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 111 | Anguilla | 13.2% | 2022 | down 31.6% | rising |
| 112 | Thailand | 13.0% | 2022 | down 4.6% | flat |
| 113 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12.7% | 2022 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 114 | Antigua and Barbuda | 12.6% | 2022 | down 24.4% | volatile |
| 115 | Russia | 12.3% | 2022 | up 36.5% | rising |
| 115 | Russian Federation | 12.3% | 2022 | up 36.5% | rising |
| 117 | Nigeria | 12.2% | 2022 | down 12.4% | volatile |
| 118 | Norway | 11.9% | 2022 | up 180.1% | rising |
| 119 | Bulgaria | 11.7% | 2022 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 120 | Serbia | 11.6% | 2022 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 121 | New Zealand | 11.6% | 2022 | up 7.7% | flat |
| 122 | India | 11.4% | 2022 | up 104.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Central African Republic | 11.4% | 2022 | up 49.7% | rising |
| 124 | North Macedonia | 11.3% | 2022 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 125 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 11.3% | 2022 | up 17.2% | volatile |
| 126 | Belgium | 11.3% | 2022 | up 211.1% | rising |
| 127 | Indonesia | 11.2% | 2022 | up 63.9% | volatile |
| 128 | Mali | 11.0% | 2022 | up 392.3% | volatile |
| 129 | Honduras | 10.9% | 2022 | up 460.9% | volatile |
| 130 | Uruguay | 10.7% | 2022 | up 490.2% | volatile |
| 131 | Congo | 10.6% | 2022 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 132 | Denmark | 10.4% | 2022 | up 85.9% | rising |
| 133 | Georgia | 10.0% | 2022 | up 45.7% | rising |
| 134 | Uganda | 9.8% | 2022 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 135 | Austria | 9.5% | 2022 | up 24.3% | rising |
| 136 | Ethiopia | 9.4% | 2022 | up 65.3% | rising |
| 137 | Seychelles | 9.2% | 2022 | up 129.6% | volatile |
| 138 | Finland | 9.2% | 2022 | up 76.7% | rising |
| 139 | Germany | 9.0% | 2022 | up 118.2% | rising |
| 140 | Montenegro | 8.7% | 2022 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 141 | Bhutan | 8.6% | 2022 | down 33.8% | rising |
| 142 | Benin | 8.6% | 2022 | down 9.2% | rising |
| 143 | Rwanda | 8.4% | 2022 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 144 | Romania | 8.0% | 2022 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 145 | Sierra Leone | 7.8% | 2022 | up 8.9% | volatile |
| 146 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 7.8% | 2022 | up 214.0% | volatile |
| 147 | Suriname | 7.4% | 2022 | up 72.4% | volatile |
| 148 | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | 7.2% | 2022 | up 22.2% | falling |
| 149 | Chile | 7.0% | 2022 | up 41.1% | rising |
| 150 | Switzerland | 7.0% | 2022 | up 6.4% | flat |
| 151 | Vietnam | 7.0% | 2022 | down 62.5% | volatile |
| 151 | Viet Nam | 7.0% | 2022 | down 62.5% | volatile |
| 153 | Poland | 6.9% | 2022 | up 38.4% | rising |
| 154 | Martinique | 6.6% | 2022 | down 44.8% | falling |
| 155 | Armenia | 6.5% | 2022 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 156 | Cambodia | 6.5% | 2022 | up 15.9% | rising |
| 157 | Morocco | 6.4% | 2022 | down 49.0% | volatile |
| 158 | Lithuania | 6.3% | 2022 | up 113.4% | rising |
| 159 | Mayotte | 6.2% | 2022 | down 37.7% | falling |
| 160 | Latvia | 6.1% | 2022 | up 57.1% | rising |
| 161 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 5.9% | 2022 | up 233.0% | volatile |
| 162 | Israel | 5.6% | 2022 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 163 | Saint Barthélemy | 5.6% | 2022 | down 59.0% | falling |
| 164 | Egypt | 5.5% | 2022 | up 476.2% | volatile |
| 165 | Kazakhstan | 5.4% | 2022 | up 191.0% | volatile |
| 166 | Turkmenistan | 5.1% | 2022 | up 136.3% | rising |
| 167 | Turkey | 5.1% | 2022 | down 19.0% | flat |
| 167 | Türkiye | 5.1% | 2022 | down 19.0% | flat |
| 169 | Mexico | 5.1% | 2022 | up 22.8% | volatile |
| 170 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5.0% | 2022 | up 23.6% | rising |
| 171 | Bangladesh | 5.0% | 2022 | up 86.1% | volatile |
| 172 | United Republic of Tanzania | 4.5% | 2022 | up 2,507.7% | volatile |
| 173 | Angola | 4.3% | 2022 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 174 | Panama | 4.3% | 2022 | down 33.6% | volatile |
| 175 | Estonia | 4.0% | 2022 | up 1.9% | falling |
| 176 | Tajikistan | 4.0% | 2022 | up 53.5% | flat |
| 177 | Mongolia | 3.8% | 2022 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 178 | Jordan | 3.6% | 2022 | down 46.4% | falling |
| 179 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 3.3% | 2022 | down 41.7% | volatile |
| 180 | Liberia | 3.1% | 2022 | down 80.4% | volatile |
| 181 | Haiti | 2.8% | 2022 | down 50.5% | volatile |
| 182 | South Korea | 2.7% | 2022 | up 173.7% | volatile |
| 182 | Republic of Korea | 2.7% | 2022 | up 173.7% | volatile |
| 184 | Oman | 2.6% | 2022 | down 86.5% | volatile |
| 185 | Costa Rica | 2.5% | 2022 | up 165.0% | volatile |
| 186 | United States | 2.4% | 2022 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 187 | El Salvador | 2.2% | 2022 | up 344.9% | volatile |
| 188 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 2.1% | 2022 | up 190.4% | volatile |
| 189 | Nepal | 1.5% | 2022 | down 0.8% | volatile |
| 190 | Cote d'Ivoire | 1.5% | 2022 | down 83.2% | volatile |
| 190 | Côte d'Ivoire | 1.5% | 2022 | down 83.2% | volatile |
| 192 | Åland Islands | 1.4% | 2022 | down 9.0% | volatile |
| 193 | Burundi | 1.3% | 2022 | up 21.1% | rising |
| 194 | Nicaragua | 1.2% | 2022 | up 17.6% | rising |
| 195 | New Caledonia | 0.9% | 2022 | down 95.1% | volatile |
| 196 | Paraguay | 0.9% | 2022 | up 119.4% | volatile |
| 197 | Zimbabwe | 0.6% | 2022 | down 70.2% | volatile |
| 198 | Luxembourg | 0.6% | 2022 | up 151.2% | volatile |
| 199 | Guadeloupe | 0.6% | 2022 | down 94.8% | volatile |
| 200 | Malaysia | 0.6% | 2022 | down 92.2% | volatile |
| 201 | Canada | 0.6% | 2022 | up 142.0% | volatile |
| 202 | Mozambique | 0.6% | 2022 | down 66.7% | falling |
| 203 | Guatemala | 0.4% | 2022 | up 551.0% | volatile |
| 204 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.4% | 2022 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 205 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 0.3% | 2022 | down 90.2% | volatile |
| 206 | Ukraine | 0.2% | 2022 | down 92.4% | volatile |
| 207 | Moldova | 0.2% | 2022 | down 94.7% | volatile |
| 207 | Republic of Moldova | 0.2% | 2022 | down 94.7% | volatile |
| 209 | Equatorial Guinea | -0.3% | 2022 | down 102.6% | volatile |
| 210 | Cameroon | -0.5% | 2022 | down 105.0% | falling |
| 211 | Malawi | -0.8% | 2022 | down 136.7% | volatile |
| 212 | Philippines | -0.8% | 2022 | down 133.2% | volatile |
| 213 | Belize | -1.0% | 2022 | down 261.5% | volatile |
| 214 | Zambia | -1.3% | 2022 | down 70.1% | volatile |
| 215 | Syria | -1.3% | 2022 | down 111.9% | volatile |
| 215 | Syrian Arab Republic | -1.3% | 2022 | down 111.9% | volatile |
| 217 | Gibraltar | -1.6% | 2022 | down 125.1% | volatile |
| 218 | Namibia | -1.7% | 2022 | down 121.4% | volatile |
| 219 | Brazil | -1.8% | 2022 | down 233.7% | volatile |
| 220 | Aruba | -2.2% | 2022 | up 36.5% | volatile |
| 221 | South Africa | -2.5% | 2022 | down 242.5% | volatile |
| 222 | Japan | -2.8% | 2022 | down 435.2% | volatile |
| 223 | Peru | -3.6% | 2022 | down 589.7% | volatile |
| 224 | Andorra | -4.0% | 2022 | down 121.0% | volatile |
| 225 | Argentina | -4.6% | 2022 | up 33.5% | volatile |
| 226 | Western Sahara | -5.5% | 2022 | down 151.5% | volatile |
| 227 | Djibouti | -5.9% | 2022 | down 205.0% | volatile |
| 228 | Australia and New Zealand | -5.9% | 2022 | down 312.1% | volatile |
| 229 | Curacao | -6.7% | 2022 | down 461.1% | volatile |
| 229 | Curaçao | -6.7% | 2022 | down 461.1% | volatile |
| 231 | Colombia | -7.3% | 2022 | down 180.7% | volatile |
| 232 | Bahrain | -7.5% | 2022 | up 49.5% | volatile |
| 233 | South Sudan | -7.8% | 2022 | down 205.9% | volatile |
| 234 | Madagascar | -8.5% | 2022 | down 863.4% | volatile |
| 235 | Singapore | -9.1% | 2022 | down 161.8% | volatile |
| 236 | Lebanon | -9.4% | 2022 | down 486.5% | volatile |
| 237 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | -11.0% | 2022 | down 216.5% | volatile |
| 238 | Algeria | -12.9% | 2022 | down 120.2% | volatile |
| 239 | Greenland | -14.2% | 2022 | down 207.3% | volatile |
| 240 | Lesotho | -14.8% | 2022 | down 218.8% | volatile |
| 241 | Australia | -15.6% | 2022 | down 831.3% | volatile |
| 242 | Cabo Verde | -17.4% | 2022 | down 305.3% | volatile |
| 243 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | -18.5% | 2022 | down 197.4% | volatile |
| 244 | Eswatini | -27.8% | 2022 | down 620.2% | volatile |
| 245 | East Timor | -30.5% | 2022 | down 2,102.1% | volatile |
| 245 | Timor-Leste | -30.5% | 2022 | down 2,102.1% | volatile |
| 247 | Dominica | -36.7% | 2022 | down 6,352.0% | volatile |
| 248 | Uzbekistan | -37.9% | 2022 | down 82.5% | volatile |
| 249 | Afghanistan | -41.2% | 2022 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 250 | Malta | -58.1% | 2022 | down 117,662.0% | volatile |
| 251 | Montserrat | -95.5% | 2022 | down 456.1% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Northern Africa 44.6%
- Oceania (exc. Australia and New Zealand) 21.9%
- Northern Africa and Western Asia 19.9%
- Western Asia 19.1%
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 17.0%
- Southern Europe 16.5%
- Western Africa 15.1%
- Western Europe 13.7%
- Eastern Europe 12.0%
- Eastern Asia 12.0%
- Europe 11.8%
- Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 11.6%
- Northern Europe 10.1%
- South-Eastern Asia 9.8%
- Asia 7.7%
- Middle Africa 6.6%
- Southern Asia 6.5%
- Developing regions 5.5%
- Africa 5.5%
- Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) 5.1%
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 5.0%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 4.8%
- World 4.4%
- Europe and Northern America 3.8%
- Developed regions (Europe, Cyprus, Israel, Northern America, Japan, Australia & New Zealand) 3.8%
- Central and Southern Asia 3.5%
- Eastern Africa 3.5%
- Central Asia 2.7%
- Central America 2.6%
- United States of America 2.4%
- Southern Africa 1.3%
- Northern America 0.7%
- Americas 0.4%
- Oceania 0.3%
- China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region -0.9%
- Latin America and the Caribbean -2.1%
- South America -3.1%
- China, Macao Special Administrative Region -9.1%