Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Western Asia

Western Asia: Lakes and rivers permanent water area was 1.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
1.9%
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
13th
of 37 groups
All-time high
1.9%
in 2022
All-time low
0.8%
in 2000
Years of data
23
2000–2022

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

00.511.522000201120222000: 0.8072001: 0.9942002: 1.32003: 1.62004: 1.62005: 1.62006: 1.62007: 1.62008: 1.62009: 1.72010: 1.62011: 1.72012: 1.62013: 1.62014: 1.72015: 1.72016: 1.72017: 1.82018: 1.82019: 1.82020: 1.92021: 1.92022: 1.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2022, lakes and rivers permanent water area in Western Asia stood at 1.9%. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area in Western Asia peaked at 1.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2000.

That places Western Asia 13th 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 Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area) in Western Asia, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 0.8%
2001 1.0% +23.1%
2002 1.3% +27.4%
2003 1.6% +25.5%
2004 1.6% -0.6%
2005 1.6% +2.1%
2006 1.6% +0.1%
2007 1.6% +1.0%
2008 1.6% +0.7%
2009 1.7% +0.7%
2010 1.6% -0.1%
2011 1.7% +0.1%
2012 1.6% -0.2%
2013 1.6% -0.1%
2014 1.7% +0.8%
2015 1.7% +0.9%
2016 1.7% +2.5%
2017 1.8% +2.4%
2018 1.8% +2.3%
2019 1.8% +1.6%
2020 1.9% +1.9%
2021 1.9% +0.3%
2022 1.9% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.4% 0.8% 1.7% 10
2010s 1.7% 1.6% 1.8% 10
2020s 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 3

Countries ranked near Western Asia

  1. 10 Finland 6.6% compare
  2. 11 Rwanda 5.8% compare
  3. 12 Kazakhstan 5.7% compare
  4. 13 Estonia 4.5% compare
  5. 14 Armenia 4.4% compare
  6. 15 Greenland 4.2% compare
  7. 16 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% compare

See the full ranking of 258 places →

More environment data for Western Asia

All data for Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is lakes and rivers permanent water area in Western Asia?
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in Western Asia was 1.9% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2022.
What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2000.
How does Western Asia rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area?
Western Asia ranks 13th out of 37 groups with data for 2022.
Is lakes and rivers permanent water area rising or falling in Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western 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 Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/lakes-and-rivers-permanent-water-area-percent-of-total-land-area/western-asia/

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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
258 places, 5,932 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed