Statizoid

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area) by country

Countries reporting
197
Highest
90.5%
Azerbaijan
Lowest
0.0%
Sao Tome and Principe
Median
0.4%
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
5,656

What the numbers show

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area) is currently reported for 197 countries. The highest value is 90.5% in Azerbaijan; the lowest is 0.0% in Sao Tome and Principe.

The median across all reporting countries is 0.4%, and the mean is 1.6%.

Over the past decade 129 countries rose and 64 fell. The largest increase was in Kiribati (up 499.6%), and the largest decrease in Malta (down 58.1%).

Lakes and rivers permanent water area: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Azerbaijan 90.5% 2022 up 15.0% rising
2 Malawi 19.8% 2022 down 2.7% flat
3 Turkmenistan 18.1% 2022 up 2.9% rising
4 Saint Martin (French part) 11.0% 2022 up 1.7% rising
5 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 10.5% 2022 up 1.5% rising
6 Canada 9.3% 2022 up 0.3% flat
6 Democratic Republic of the Congo 1.5% 2022 up 0.9% rising
7 Bahamas 8.1% 2022 up 21.1% rising
7 Türkiye 0.9% 2022 down 1.1% rising
8 Nicaragua 7.2% 2022 up 0.2% rising
9 Burundi 7.0% 2022 up 0.2% rising
9 Viet Nam 0.8% 2022 down 9.8% rising
10 Finland 6.6% 2022 up 3.8% rising
11 Rwanda 5.8% 2022 up 1.4% rising
12 Kazakhstan 5.7% 2022 up 3.4% rising
13 Estonia 4.5% 2022 up 0.1% rising
14 Armenia 4.4% 2022 up 0.6% rising
15 Greenland 4.2% 2022 down 24.2% rising
16 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% 2022 down 0.1% flat
17 Uganda 3.3% 2022 up 0.6% rising
18 Switzerland 3.1% 2022 up 0.4% rising
19 British Virgin Islands 3.1% 2022 up 4.1% rising
20 French Polynesia 2.8% 2022 up 339.8% volatile
21 Russian Federation 2.5% 2022 up 3.0% rising
21 Timor-Leste 0.0% 2022 down 31.5% falling
22 Tonga 2.2% 2022 up 232.5% volatile
23 Israel 2.0% 2022 down 0.2% rising
24 Norway 1.9% 2022 up 7.3% rising
25 Uzbekistan 1.9% 2022 down 21.6% falling
26 Cambodia 1.9% 2022 up 0.8% rising
27 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.8% 2022 up 5.2% rising
28 North Macedonia 1.8% 2022 up 0.4% rising
29 Iceland 1.6% 2022 up 16.8% rising
29 Cabo Verde 0.2% 2022 down 23.8% falling
30 Chile 1.5% 2022 up 2.0% rising
31 Cayman Islands 1.4% 2022 up 43.4% rising
32 Singapore 1.4% 2022 down 20.7% flat
33 Kenya 1.4% 2022 up 4.3% rising
34 Belize 1.3% 2022 down 1.6% flat
35 Lithuania 1.3% 2022 up 3.3% rising
36 Ireland 1.3% 2022 up 34.7% rising
37 New Zealand 1.2% 2022 up 0.7% rising
38 Hungary 1.2% 2022 up 3.8% rising
39 Latvia 1.2% 2022 up 2.1% rising
40 Zambia 1.2% 2022 down 0.5% flat
41 Cuba 1.1% 2022 up 13.9% rising
42 Bangladesh 1.1% 2022 up 2.2% flat
43 China 1.1% 2022 up 8.6% rising
44 Mozambique 1.0% 2022 down 1.1% rising
45 Denmark 1.0% 2022 up 4.6% rising
46 Poland 1.0% 2022 up 1.8% rising
47 Guatemala 1.0% 2022 up 0.5% flat
48 Germany 0.9% 2022 up 4.7% rising
49 Peru 0.9% 2022 down 3.1% flat
50 Gambia 0.9% 2022 up 14.2% rising
51 Argentina 0.9% 2022 up 2.5% falling
52 Mongolia 0.9% 2022 down 0.0% rising
53 Sri Lanka 0.9% 2022 up 8.5% rising
54 Albania 0.8% 2022 up 7.5% rising
55 Tajikistan 0.8% 2022 up 1.3% rising
56 Philippines 0.8% 2022 down 3.0% flat
57 Dominican Republic 0.8% 2022 up 2.6% rising
58 El Salvador 0.8% 2022 up 1.7% flat
59 Faroe Islands 0.8% 2022 — volatile
60 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 0.7% 2022 up 29.6% rising
61 Brazil 0.7% 2022 down 3.1% flat
62 Romania 0.7% 2022 up 1.9% rising
63 Ecuador 0.7% 2022 up 11.9% rising
64 Mauritius 0.7% 2022 down 1.0% rising
65 Curaçao 0.7% 2022 down 5.6% falling
66 Austria 0.7% 2022 up 1.7% rising
67 Ukraine 0.7% 2022 down 2.6% rising
68 Italy 0.6% 2022 up 3.1% rising
69 Colombia 0.6% 2022 down 14.9% flat
70 Haiti 0.6% 2022 down 2.7% rising
71 Antigua and Barbuda 0.6% 2022 down 3.5% rising
72 Gabon 0.6% 2022 up 13.0% rising
73 Ethiopia 0.6% 2022 up 3.5% rising
74 Djibouti 0.6% 2022 down 10.8% rising
75 Papua New Guinea 0.5% 2022 up 5.2% rising
76 Greece 0.5% 2022 up 14.2% rising
77 Uruguay 0.5% 2022 up 13.8% rising
78 Jordan 0.5% 2022 down 2.9% rising
79 Liechtenstein 0.5% 2022 up 18.4% rising
80 Serbia 0.5% 2022 up 0.3% rising
81 Congo 0.5% 2022 up 0.5% rising
82 Republic of Korea 0.5% 2022 up 6.7% falling
83 France 0.5% 2022 up 4.5% rising
84 Indonesia 0.5% 2022 up 4.1% rising
85 Czechia 0.5% 2022 up 6.9% rising
86 Bahrain 0.5% 2022 up 8.6% falling
87 Iraq 0.5% 2022 up 49.0% rising
88 Myanmar 0.5% 2022 up 4.4% rising
89 Solomon Islands 0.4% 2022 up 333.4% volatile
90 Northern Mariana Islands 0.4% 2022 up 178.5% volatile
91 Thailand 0.4% 2022 down 0.6% rising
92 Honduras 0.4% 2022 up 14.4% rising
93 Japan 0.4% 2022 down 2.3% falling
94 United States Virgin Islands 0.4% 2022 down 4.6% rising
95 Belgium 0.4% 2022 up 7.4% rising
96 Bulgaria 0.4% 2022 up 0.5% rising
97 Gibraltar 0.4% 2022 down 7.6% flat
98 Pakistan 0.3% 2022 up 25.4% rising
99 Brunei Darussalam 0.3% 2022 up 13.3% rising
100 Georgia 0.3% 2022 up 2.9% rising
101 Paraguay 0.3% 2022 up 5.6% flat
102 Tuvalu 0.3% 2022 up 261.8% volatile
103 Madagascar 0.3% 2022 down 9.5% flat
104 Marshall Islands 0.3% 2022 up 140.3% rising
105 Mexico 0.3% 2022 up 0.9% rising
106 Puerto Rico 0.3% 2022 up 25.9% rising
107 Seychelles 0.3% 2022 up 5.0% rising
108 Senegal 0.3% 2022 up 14.8% rising
109 Aruba 0.3% 2022 up 1.3% flat
110 Croatia 0.3% 2022 up 7.7% rising
111 India 0.3% 2022 up 5.5% rising
112 Benin 0.2% 2022 down 0.8% rising
113 Vanuatu 0.2% 2022 up 43.5% rising
114 American Samoa 0.2% 2022 up 36.8% rising
115 Nauru 0.2% 2022 — volatile
116 Malaysia 0.2% 2022 down 6.4% flat
117 Slovakia 0.2% 2022 up 5.3% rising
118 Slovenia 0.2% 2022 up 16.0% rising
119 Portugal 0.2% 2022 up 7.8% rising
120 Egypt 0.2% 2022 up 4.5% falling
121 Bhutan 0.2% 2022 down 3.9% rising
122 Guyana 0.2% 2022 up 13.7% rising
123 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.2% 2022 up 6.8% rising
124 Nigeria 0.2% 2022 down 1.5% rising
125 New Caledonia 0.2% 2022 down 15.2% rising
126 Cameroon 0.2% 2022 down 9.8% rising
127 Kuwait 0.1% 2022 up 128.2% rising
128 Guinea-Bissau 0.1% 2022 up 13.3% rising
129 Palau 0.1% 2022 up 34.6% rising
130 Qatar 0.1% 2022 up 22.2% rising
131 Nepal 0.1% 2022 down 0.0% rising
132 Montenegro 0.1% 2022 down 0.3% rising
133 Trinidad and Tobago 0.1% 2022 down 0.4% rising
134 Chad 0.1% 2022 up 25.5% rising
135 Isle of Man 0.1% 2022 up 27.6% rising
136 Spain 0.1% 2022 up 2.2% rising
137 Kiribati 0.1% 2022 up 499.6% volatile
138 Guam 0.1% 2022 up 164.3% rising
139 Comoros 0.1% 2022 up 13.3% rising
140 South Africa 0.1% 2022 down 4.2% falling
141 Monaco 0.1% 2022 up 22.2% rising
142 Andorra 0.1% 2022 down 19.3% rising
143 Luxembourg 0.1% 2022 up 1.9% rising
144 Sierra Leone 0.1% 2022 up 0.6% rising
145 Zimbabwe 0.1% 2022 down 1.5% rising
146 Suriname 0.1% 2022 up 3.0% rising
147 Grenada 0.1% 2022 up 22.1% rising
148 Jamaica 0.1% 2022 up 17.1% rising
149 Australia and New Zealand 0.1% 2022 down 8.4% flat
150 Ghana 0.1% 2022 down 6.4% rising
151 Samoa 0.1% 2022 up 60.5% rising
152 Costa Rica 0.1% 2022 up 6.7% falling
153 Cyprus 0.1% 2022 up 36.4% rising
154 South Sudan 0.1% 2022 down 14.2% flat
155 Afghanistan 0.1% 2022 down 7.7% volatile
156 Mali 0.1% 2022 up 8.5% rising
157 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.1% 2022 down 1.9% rising
158 Central African Republic 0.1% 2022 up 3.5% rising
159 Equatorial Guinea 0.1% 2022 down 11.7% rising
160 Sudan 0.1% 2022 up 279.2% volatile
161 Malta 0.1% 2022 down 58.1% rising
162 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.1% 2022 down 18.8% falling
163 Panama 0.1% 2022 down 2.0% rising
164 Australia 0.1% 2022 down 14.2% falling
165 Eritrea 0.1% 2022 up 60.7% rising
166 Fiji 0.1% 2022 up 29.9% rising
167 Tunisia 0.1% 2022 up 14.5% rising
168 Angola 0.0% 2022 down 0.0% rising
169 Eswatini 0.0% 2022 down 31.5% falling
170 Burkina Faso 0.0% 2022 up 46.5% rising
171 Botswana 0.0% 2022 up 124.1% volatile
172 Namibia 0.0% 2022 down 8.7% rising
173 Saint Lucia 0.0% 2022 down 1.1% rising
174 Morocco 0.0% 2022 down 5.5% rising
175 Guinea 0.0% 2022 up 46.9% rising
176 Bermuda 0.0% 2022 up 16.0% rising
177 Niger 0.0% 2022 up 80.5% rising
178 Lesotho 0.0% 2022 down 24.2% falling
179 Lebanon 0.0% 2022 down 8.0% falling
180 Liberia 0.0% 2022 down 10.9% rising
181 Togo 0.0% 2022 up 0.4% rising
182 Somalia 0.0% 2022 up 37.3% flat
183 Yemen 0.0% 2022 up 29.9% rising
184 Oman 0.0% 2022 down 14.0% flat
185 Saudi Arabia 0.0% 2022 up 35.8% rising
186 Mauritania 0.0% 2022 up 50.4% rising
187 Barbados 0.0% 2022 up 3.6% rising
188 Algeria 0.0% 2022 down 46.8% rising
189 Libya 0.0% 2022 down 0.4% rising
190 Dominica 0.0% 2022 down 36.2% falling
191 San Marino 0.0% 2022 — volatile
192 Sao Tome and Principe 0.0% 2022 — volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Lakes and rivers permanent water area by country. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/lakes-and-rivers-permanent-water-area-percent-of-total-land-area/

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About this data

Indicator
Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
246 places, 5,656 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed