Lakes and rivers permanent water area in World
World: Lakes and rivers permanent water area was 1.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Lakes and rivers permanent water area in World, 2000–2022
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lakes and rivers permanent water area in World is 1.9%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lakes and rivers permanent water area in World peaked at 1.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2000.
World ranks 12th of 37 groups on this measure, 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 World, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.5% | — |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +7.0% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near World
More environment data for World
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.99 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.208 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.88 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per capita 0.0159 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, annual growth rate 2.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per capita 0.0047 1000 USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lakes and rivers permanent water area in World?
- Lakes and rivers permanent water area in World 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest lakes and rivers permanent water area recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2000.
- How does World rank for lakes and rivers permanent water area?
- World ranks 12th out of 37 groups with data for 2022.
- Is lakes and rivers permanent water area rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).