Statizoid

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (square kilometres) by country

Countries reporting
235
Highest
916,377 kmsq
Canada
Lowest
0 kmsq
Holy See
Median
187.41 kmsq
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
6,369

What the numbers show

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (square kilometres) is currently reported for 235 countries. The highest value is 916,377 kmsq in Canada; the lowest is 0 kmsq in Holy See.

The median across all reporting countries is 187.41 kmsq, and the mean is 9,845 kmsq.

Over the past decade 144 countries rose and 77 fell. The largest increase was in Wallis and Futuna Islands (up 2,128.7%), and the largest decrease in Montserrat (down 96.5%).

Lakes and rivers permanent water area: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Canada 916,377 kmsq 2022 up 0.3% flat
2 Russian Federation 425,204 kmsq 2022 up 3.0% rising
3 Kazakhstan 155,467 kmsq 2022 up 3.4% rising
4 China 101,751 kmsq 2022 up 8.6% rising
5 Turkmenistan 88,527 kmsq 2022 up 2.9% rising
6 Azerbaijan 78,372 kmsq 2022 up 15.0% rising
7 Brazil 61,477 kmsq 2022 down 3.1% flat
8 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 59,506 kmsq 2022 up 4.1% rising
9 Democratic Republic of the Congo 35,993 kmsq 2022 up 0.9% rising
10 Argentina 25,229 kmsq 2022 up 2.5% falling
11 Malawi 23,500 kmsq 2022 down 2.7% flat
12 Finland 22,408 kmsq 2022 up 3.8% rising
13 United Republic of Tanzania 21,613 kmsq 2022 up 4.7% flat
14 Greenland 17,316 kmsq 2022 down 24.2% rising
15 Mongolia 13,861 kmsq 2022 down 0.0% rising
16 Norway 12,157 kmsq 2022 up 7.3% rising
17 Peru 11,808 kmsq 2022 down 3.1% flat
18 Chile 11,251 kmsq 2022 up 2.0% rising
19 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 9,382 kmsq 2022 down 13.1% falling
20 Nicaragua 9,326 kmsq 2022 up 0.2% rising
21 Zambia 9,106 kmsq 2022 down 0.5% flat
22 Indonesia 8,731 kmsq 2022 up 4.1% rising
23 Uzbekistan 8,684 kmsq 2022 down 21.6% falling
24 India 8,260 kmsq 2022 up 5.5% rising
25 Mozambique 8,223 kmsq 2022 down 1.1% rising
26 Uganda 7,921 kmsq 2022 up 0.6% rising
27 Kenya 7,914 kmsq 2022 up 4.3% rising
28 Australia and New Zealand 7,761 kmsq 2022 down 8.4% flat
29 Türkiye 7,172 kmsq 2022 down 1.1% rising
30 Colombia 7,157 kmsq 2022 down 14.9% flat
31 Kyrgyzstan 6,977 kmsq 2022 down 0.1% flat
32 Ethiopia 6,551 kmsq 2022 up 3.5% rising
33 Mexico 5,730 kmsq 2022 up 0.9% rising
34 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 5,042 kmsq 2022 down 2.5% rising
35 Australia 4,467 kmsq 2022 down 14.2% falling
36 Ukraine 3,927 kmsq 2022 down 2.6% rising
37 Germany 3,383 kmsq 2022 up 4.7% rising
38 Cambodia 3,365 kmsq 2022 up 0.8% rising
39 New Zealand 3,294 kmsq 2022 up 0.7% rising
40 Poland 3,109 kmsq 2022 up 1.8% rising
41 Myanmar 3,050 kmsq 2022 up 4.4% rising
42 Melanesia 2,680 kmsq 2022 up 9.2% rising
43 Pakistan 2,660 kmsq 2022 up 25.4% rising
44 Viet Nam 2,622 kmsq 2022 down 9.8% rising
45 France 2,536 kmsq 2022 up 4.5% rising
46 Papua New Guinea 2,482 kmsq 2022 up 5.2% rising
47 Philippines 2,413 kmsq 2022 down 3.0% flat
48 Thailand 2,233 kmsq 2022 down 0.6% rising
49 Estonia 2,018 kmsq 2022 up 0.1% rising
50 Egypt 1,967 kmsq 2022 up 4.5% falling
51 Iraq 1,963 kmsq 2022 up 49.0% rising
52 Italy 1,949 kmsq 2022 up 3.1% rising
53 Burundi 1,944 kmsq 2022 up 0.2% rising
54 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1,824 kmsq 2022 up 29.6% rising
55 Madagascar 1,816 kmsq 2022 down 9.5% flat
56 Ecuador 1,746 kmsq 2022 up 11.9% rising
57 Romania 1,679 kmsq 2022 up 1.9% rising
58 Nigeria 1,664 kmsq 2022 down 1.5% rising
59 Iceland 1,662 kmsq 2022 up 16.8% rising
60 Chad 1,649 kmsq 2022 up 25.5% rising
61 Bangladesh 1,633 kmsq 2022 up 2.2% flat
62 Congo 1,617 kmsq 2022 up 0.5% rising
63 Japan 1,589 kmsq 2022 down 2.3% falling
64 Gabon 1,582 kmsq 2022 up 13.0% rising
65 Rwanda 1,517 kmsq 2022 up 1.4% rising
66 Paraguay 1,336 kmsq 2022 up 5.6% flat
67 Armenia 1,318 kmsq 2022 up 0.6% rising
68 Switzerland 1,292 kmsq 2022 up 0.4% rising
69 Sudan 1,268 kmsq 2022 up 279.1% volatile
70 Cuba 1,248 kmsq 2022 up 13.9% rising
71 Tajikistan 1,170 kmsq 2022 up 1.3% rising
72 Hungary 1,141 kmsq 2022 up 3.8% rising
73 Bahamas 1,118 kmsq 2022 up 21.1% rising
74 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1,074 kmsq 2022 up 14.2% rising
75 Guatemala 1,071 kmsq 2022 up 0.5% flat
76 Mali 1,006 kmsq 2022 up 8.6% rising
77 Ireland 897.73 kmsq 2022 up 34.7% rising
78 Uruguay 878.88 kmsq 2022 up 13.8% rising
79 Lithuania 860.7 kmsq 2022 up 3.3% rising
80 Latvia 790.47 kmsq 2022 up 2.1% rising
81 Cameroon 784.86 kmsq 2022 down 9.8% rising
82 Malaysia 714.64 kmsq 2022 down 6.4% flat
83 Greece 678.58 kmsq 2022 up 14.2% rising
84 Spain 594.42 kmsq 2022 up 2.2% rising
85 Angola 590.27 kmsq 2022 down 0.1% rising
86 Sri Lanka 572.71 kmsq 2022 up 8.5% rising
87 South Sudan 556.79 kmsq 2022 down 14.2% flat
88 Austria 554.32 kmsq 2022 up 1.7% rising
89 Afghanistan 545.74 kmsq 2022 down 7.7% volatile
90 Senegal 533.83 kmsq 2022 up 14.8% rising
91 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 523.46 kmsq 2022 down 2.2% rising
92 Honduras 478.48 kmsq 2022 up 14.4% rising
93 Republic of Korea 464.72 kmsq 2022 up 6.7% falling
94 North Macedonia 456.12 kmsq 2022 up 0.4% rising
95 Israel 451.4 kmsq 2022 down 0.2% rising
96 Jordan 435.81 kmsq 2022 down 2.9% rising
97 Denmark 433.28 kmsq 2022 up 4.6% rising
98 Guyana 419.19 kmsq 2022 up 13.7% rising
99 Serbia 417.67 kmsq 2022 up 0.3% rising
100 Bulgaria 415.52 kmsq 2022 up 0.5% rising
101 Zimbabwe 406.29 kmsq 2022 down 1.5% rising
102 Dominican Republic 387.09 kmsq 2022 up 2.6% rising
103 Czechia 358.69 kmsq 2022 up 6.9% rising
104 Syrian Arab Republic 350.36 kmsq 2022 down 11.2% rising
105 Belize 303.01 kmsq 2022 down 1.6% flat
106 Niger 302.83 kmsq 2022 up 80.6% rising
107 Namibia 287.35 kmsq 2022 down 8.7% rising
108 French Southern Territories 279.14 kmsq 2022 up 18.3% rising
109 Benin 278.71 kmsq 2022 down 0.8% rising
110 Albania 240.56 kmsq 2022 up 7.5% rising
111 Republic of Moldova 236.1 kmsq 2022 down 3.2% rising
112 Georgia 231.19 kmsq 2022 up 2.9% rising
113 Botswana 229.17 kmsq 2022 up 124.1% volatile
114 Croatia 222.42 kmsq 2022 up 7.7% rising
115 Ghana 220.84 kmsq 2022 down 6.4% rising
116 Nepal 203.37 kmsq 2022 down 0.0% rising
117 Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands 200.2 kmsq 2022 — volatile
118 Portugal 187.41 kmsq 2022 up 7.8% rising
119 Polynesia 178.55 kmsq 2022 up 149.1% volatile
120 Côte d'Ivoire 169.33 kmsq 2022 down 6.8% rising
121 Suriname 167.55 kmsq 2022 up 3.0% rising
122 Haiti 166.27 kmsq 2022 down 2.7% rising
123 El Salvador 161.36 kmsq 2022 up 1.7% flat
124 Saudi Arabia 153.33 kmsq 2022 up 35.9% rising
125 Morocco 135.94 kmsq 2022 down 5.5% rising
126 Falkland Islands (Malvinas) 135.22 kmsq 2022 up 1.2% rising
127 Djibouti 131.14 kmsq 2022 down 10.8% rising
128 Solomon Islands 127.2 kmsq 2022 up 333.4% volatile
129 Belgium 119.49 kmsq 2022 up 7.4% rising
130 Burkina Faso 113.85 kmsq 2022 up 46.5% rising
131 Slovakia 105.52 kmsq 2022 up 5.3% rising
132 Gambia 102.77 kmsq 2022 up 14.2% rising
133 Bosnia and Herzegovina 98.96 kmsq 2022 up 6.8% rising
134 French Polynesia 98.79 kmsq 2022 up 339.8% volatile
135 Somalia 94.3 kmsq 2022 up 37.3% flat
136 Algeria 89.82 kmsq 2022 down 46.8% rising
137 Tunisia 86.73 kmsq 2022 up 14.5% rising
138 Sierra Leone 77.22 kmsq 2022 up 0.6% rising
139 Bhutan 75.03 kmsq 2022 down 3.9% rising
140 Mauritania 71.92 kmsq 2022 up 50.5% rising
141 Guinea 67.83 kmsq 2022 up 46.9% rising
142 Eritrea 66.83 kmsq 2022 up 60.7% rising
143 Yemen 65.01 kmsq 2022 up 29.9% rising
144 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 64.62 kmsq 2022 up 399.4% volatile
145 Tokelau 59.07 kmsq 2022 up 40.1% rising
146 French Guiana 53.97 kmsq 2022 up 26.1% rising
147 Guinea-Bissau 51.55 kmsq 2022 up 13.3% rising
148 Costa Rica 44.87 kmsq 2022 up 6.7% falling
149 Panama 44.76 kmsq 2022 down 2.0% rising
150 Libya 43.45 kmsq 2022 down 0.6% rising
151 Slovenia 41.79 kmsq 2022 up 16.0% rising
152 Oman 36.37 kmsq 2022 down 14.1% flat
153 New Caledonia 32.85 kmsq 2022 down 15.2% rising
154 Vanuatu 27.51 kmsq 2022 up 43.5% rising
155 Åland Islands 25.98 kmsq 2022 down 0.1% rising
156 Puerto Rico 25.83 kmsq 2022 up 25.9% rising
157 Liberia 21.6 kmsq 2022 down 10.8% rising
158 Equatorial Guinea 19.46 kmsq 2022 down 11.7% rising
159 Brunei Darussalam 19.25 kmsq 2022 up 13.3% rising
160 Montenegro 18.81 kmsq 2022 down 0.3% rising
161 Turks and Caicos Islands 17.47 kmsq 2022 up 5.2% rising
162 Tonga 16.64 kmsq 2022 up 232.5% volatile
163 Qatar 16.03 kmsq 2022 up 22.2% rising
164 Western Sahara 14.07 kmsq 2022 down 14.6% rising
165 Mauritius 13.6 kmsq 2022 down 1.0% rising
166 Jamaica 10.96 kmsq 2022 up 17.1% rising
167 Faroe Islands 10.57 kmsq 2022 — volatile
168 Togo 10.55 kmsq 2022 up 0.4% rising
169 Singapore 9.94 kmsq 2022 down 20.7% flat
170 Fiji 9.86 kmsq 2022 up 29.9% rising
171 Cyprus 7.97 kmsq 2022 up 36.4% rising
172 Eswatini 7.44 kmsq 2022 down 31.5% falling
173 Lesotho 7.2 kmsq 2022 down 24.2% falling
174 Micronesia 6.99 kmsq 2022 up 139.7% volatile
175 Cabo Verde 6.74 kmsq 2022 down 23.8% falling
176 Trinidad and Tobago 6.65 kmsq 2022 down 0.4% rising
177 Saint Martin (French Part) 5.49 kmsq 2022 up 1.7% rising
178 Réunion 5.03 kmsq 2022 up 73.3% rising
179 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 4.78 kmsq 2022 up 4.4% flat
180 British Virgin Islands 4.64 kmsq 2022 up 4.1% rising
181 Cayman Islands 3.66 kmsq 2022 up 43.4% rising
182 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 3.56 kmsq 2022 up 1.5% rising
183 Timor-Leste 3.56 kmsq 2022 down 31.6% falling
184 Bahrain 3.54 kmsq 2022 up 8.6% falling
185 Curaçao 2.99 kmsq 2022 down 5.6% falling
186 Luxembourg 2.81 kmsq 2022 up 1.9% rising
187 Antigua and Barbuda 2.63 kmsq 2022 down 3.5% rising
188 Samoa 2.59 kmsq 2022 up 60.5% rising
189 Lebanon 2.21 kmsq 2022 down 8.0% falling
190 Micronesia (Federated States of) 2.18 kmsq 2022 up 99.2% rising
191 Comoros 2.09 kmsq 2022 up 13.3% rising
192 Northern Mariana Islands 2.02 kmsq 2022 up 178.5% volatile
193 United States Virgin Islands 1.45 kmsq 2022 down 4.6% rising
194 Mayotte 1.41 kmsq 2022 down 3.4% rising
195 Anguilla 1.38 kmsq 2022 down 5.1% rising
196 Seychelles 1.31 kmsq 2022 up 5.0% rising
197 Bermuda 1.15 kmsq 2022 up 16.0% rising
198 Guernsey 0.9716 kmsq 2022 up 32.7% rising
199 Kiribati 0.9397 kmsq 2022 up 499.6% volatile
200 Martinique 0.7914 kmsq 2022 down 4.8% rising
201 Liechtenstein 0.7686 kmsq 2022 up 18.4% rising
202 Isle of Man 0.7197 kmsq 2022 up 27.6% rising
203 Palau 0.6476 kmsq 2022 up 34.6% rising
204 Wallis and Futuna Islands 0.6434 kmsq 2022 up 2,128.7% volatile
205 Guam 0.6195 kmsq 2022 up 164.3% rising
206 Jersey 0.5497 kmsq 2022 up 30.7% rising
207 Marshall Islands 0.5356 kmsq 2022 up 140.3% rising
208 Andorra 0.5158 kmsq 2022 down 19.3% rising
209 Aruba 0.4592 kmsq 2022 up 1.3% flat
210 Guadeloupe 0.4166 kmsq 2022 down 9.9% rising
211 Grenada 0.3444 kmsq 2022 up 22.1% rising
212 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.2388 kmsq 2022 down 18.8% falling
213 Saint Lucia 0.213 kmsq 2022 down 1.1% rising
214 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.2051 kmsq 2022 down 1.9% rising
215 Saint Helena 0.2 kmsq 2022 — volatile
216 Malta 0.1984 kmsq 2022 down 58.1% rising
217 Cook Islands 0.1572 kmsq 2022 up 324.0% volatile
218 Saint Barthélemy 0.1474 kmsq 2022 down 7.0% rising
219 Niue 0.1085 kmsq 2022 — volatile
220 Tuvalu 0.0985 kmsq 2022 up 261.8% volatile
221 Monaco 0.0835 kmsq 2022 up 22.2% rising
222 Nauru 0.0444 kmsq 2022 — volatile
223 Gibraltar 0.0357 kmsq 2022 down 7.6% flat
224 Barbados 0.0295 kmsq 2022 up 3.6% rising
225 Montserrat 0.0114 kmsq 2022 down 96.5% volatile
226 Christmas Island 0.0109 kmsq 2022 — volatile
227 Dominica 0.0078 kmsq 2022 down 36.3% falling
228 Norfolk Island 0.0013 kmsq 2022 — volatile
229 Sao Tome and Principe 0.0004 kmsq 2022 — volatile
230 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 0.0003 kmsq 2022 — volatile
231 San Marino 0.0003 kmsq 2022 — volatile
232 Pitcairn 0.0002 kmsq 2022 — volatile
233 Heard Island and McDonald Islands 0 kmsq 2022 — flat
233 Bouvet Island 0 kmsq 2022 — flat
233 Holy See 0 kmsq 2022 — flat

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 15 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/lakes-and-rivers-permanent-water-area-square-kilometres/

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About this data

Indicator
Lakes and rivers permanent water area (square kilometres)
Unit
kmsq
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
277 places, 6,369 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed