Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia

Asia: Lakes and rivers permanent water area was 1.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
1.8%
Change on year
down 0.0%
Rank
14th
of 37 groups
All-time high
1.8%
in 2021
All-time low
1.2%
in 2000
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia, 2000–2022

00.511.522000201120222000: 1.2 %2001: 1.3 %2002: 1.5 %2003: 1.7 %2004: 1.7 %2005: 1.7 %2006: 1.7 %2007: 1.7 %2008: 1.7 %2009: 1.7 %2010: 1.7 %2011: 1.7 %2012: 1.7 %2013: 1.7 %2014: 1.7 %2015: 1.7 %2016: 1.7 %2017: 1.7 %2018: 1.7 %2019: 1.7 %2020: 1.8 %2021: 1.8 %2022: 1.8 %

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

Analysis

Asia recorded 1.8% for lakes and rivers permanent water area in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia peaked at 1.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2000.

That places Asia 14th out of 37 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia, year by year

Annual values for Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area) in Asia, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 1.2%
2001 1.3% +9.2%
2002 1.5% +10.9%
2003 1.7% +15.2%
2004 1.7% +1.7%
2005 1.7% -0.0%
2006 1.7% -0.0%
2007 1.7% +0.2%
2008 1.7% +0.3%
2009 1.7% -0.3%
2010 1.7% -0.5%
2011 1.7% -0.4%
2012 1.7% -0.4%
2013 1.7% -0.5%
2014 1.7% +0.1%
2015 1.7% +0.1%
2016 1.7% +0.6%
2017 1.7% +1.1%
2018 1.7% +1.3%
2019 1.7% +0.9%
2020 1.8% +1.1%
2021 1.8% +0.4%
2022 1.8% -0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.6% 1.2% 1.7% 10
2010s 1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 10
2020s 1.8% 1.8% 1.8% 3

Countries ranked near Asia

  1. 11 Rwanda 5.8% compare
  2. 12 Kazakhstan 5.7% compare
  3. 13 Estonia 4.5% compare
  4. 14 Armenia 4.4% compare
  5. 15 Greenland 4.2% compare
  6. 16 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% compare
  7. 17 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 3.4% compare

See the full ranking of 258 places →

More environment data for Asia

All data for Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia?
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia was 1.8% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Asia?
The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 2021.
What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2000.
How does Asia rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area?
Asia ranks 14th out of 37 groups with data for 2022.
Is lakes and rivers permanent water area rising or falling in Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Asia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Asia. 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-percent-of-total-land-area/asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
258 places, 5,932 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed