Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of)

China (People’s Republic of): Lakes and rivers permanent water area change was 13.6% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
13.6%
Change on year
up 7.2%
World rank
91st
of 209 countries
All-time high
13.6%
in 2022
All-time low
-0.3%
in 2005
Years of data
18
2005–2022

Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of), 2005–2022

0510152005201320222005: -0.271 %2006: 0.687 %2007: 2.1 %2008: 3.3 %2009: 3.1 %2010: 3.4 %2011: 4.2 %2012: 4.6 %2013: 5.7 %2014: 6.8 %2015: 7.3 %2016: 7.9 %2017: 8.9 %2018: 9.7 %2019: 10.4 %2020: 11.6 %2021: 12.7 %2022: 13.6 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.

Analysis

China (People’s Republic of) recorded 13.6% for lakes and rivers permanent water area change in 2022. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.2% on the previous year and up 196.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 13.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, -0.3%, in 2005.

That places China (People’s Republic of) 91st out of 209 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.8% -0.3% 3.3% 5
2010s 6.9% 3.4% 10.4% 10
2020s 12.6% 11.6% 13.6% 3

Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)

  1. 88 Ecuador 14.4% compare
  2. 89 Papua New Guinea 14.0% compare
  3. 90 Kenya 13.9% compare
  4. 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.6% compare
  5. 93 Saint Martin (French Part) 13.5% compare
  6. 94 Ghana 13.5% compare

See the full ranking of 274 places →

More environment data for China (People’s Republic of)

All data for China (People’s Republic of) →

Frequently asked questions

What is lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of)?
Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of) was 13.6% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area change recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The highest recorded value was 13.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area change recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
The lowest recorded value was -0.3% in 2005.
How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area change?
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 91st out of 209 countries with data for 2022.
Is lakes and rivers permanent water area change rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
Over the last ten years it is up 196.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Lakes and rivers permanent water area change (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in China (People’s Republic of). Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/lakes-and-rivers-permanent-water-area-change-percent/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Lakes and rivers permanent water area change (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
274 places, 4,930 data points, 2005–2022
Last refreshed