Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America

Europe and Northern America: Lakes and rivers permanent water area change was 3.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
3.8%
Change on year
down 0.5%
Rank
25th
of 39 groups
All-time high
4.0%
in 2018
All-time low
1.5%
in 2005
Years of data
18
2005–2022

Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America, 2005–2022

012342005201320222005: 1.5 %2006: 1.5 %2007: 1.7 %2008: 2 %2009: 2.6 %2010: 2.9 %2011: 2.8 %2012: 2.9 %2013: 2.3 %2014: 2.6 %2015: 2.8 %2016: 3.1 %2017: 3.2 %2018: 4 %2019: 4 %2020: 3.8 %2021: 3.9 %2022: 3.8 %

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

Analysis

Europe and Northern America recorded 3.8% for lakes and rivers permanent water area change in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 33.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America peaked at 4.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2005.

Europe and Northern America ranks 25th of 39 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America, year by year

Annual values for Lakes and rivers permanent water area change (%) in Europe and Northern America, 2005 to 2022.
Year % Change
2005 1.5%
2006 1.5% +1.4%
2007 1.7% +7.2%
2008 2.0% +18.7%
2009 2.6% +29.8%
2010 2.9% +12.8%
2011 2.8% -1.4%
2012 2.9% +1.4%
2013 2.3% -20.2%
2014 2.6% +14.5%
2015 2.8% +5.7%
2016 3.1% +11.1%
2017 3.2% +4.6%
2018 4.0% +23.8%
2019 4.0% -0.8%
2020 3.8% -4.2%
2021 3.9% +1.8%
2022 3.8% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.9% 1.5% 2.6% 5
2010s 3.1% 2.3% 4.0% 10
2020s 3.8% 3.8% 3.9% 3

Countries ranked near Europe and Northern America

  1. 22 Micronesia 120.7% compare
  2. 23 Guam 118.7% compare
  3. 24 Marshall Islands 108.9% compare
  4. 25 Micronesia (Federated States of) 103.6% compare
  5. 26 Réunion 77.4% compare
  6. 26 Réunion 77.4% compare
  7. 28 Burkina Faso 68.2% compare

See the full ranking of 288 places →

More environment data for Europe and Northern America

All data for Europe and Northern America →

Frequently asked questions

What is lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America?
Lakes and rivers permanent water area change in Europe and Northern America was 3.8% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area change recorded in Europe and Northern America?
The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2018.
What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area change recorded in Europe and Northern America?
The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2005.
How does Europe and Northern America rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area change?
Europe and Northern America ranks 25th out of 39 groups with data for 2022.
Is lakes and rivers permanent water area change rising or falling in Europe and Northern America?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Europe and Northern America 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 Europe and Northern America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/lakes-and-rivers-permanent-water-area-change-percent/europe-and-northern-america/

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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
288 places, 5,182 data points, 2005–2022
Last refreshed