Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in Australia

Australia: Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was -0.5578 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-0.5578
Change on year
down 161.4%
World rank
109th
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.52
in 1974
All-time low
-2.52
in 2019
Years of data
64
1960–2023

Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in Australia, 1960–2023

-202196019912023

Source: Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.

Analysis

In 2023, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Australia stood at -0.5578.

The figure is down 161.4% on the previous year and up 52.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Australia peaked at 2.52 in 1974 and was at its lowest, -2.52, in 2019.

Australia ranks 109th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -0.1492 -1.7 1.26 10
1970s 0.8271 -1.39 2.52 10
1980s 0.3357 -0.5634 1.52 10
1990s 0.3593 -1.82 1.29 10
2000s -0.2059 -2.45 1.86 10
2010s -0.3957 -2.52 1.94 10
2020s 0.1257 -0.5578 0.9083 4

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 106 Gabon -0.5067 compare
  2. 107 El Salvador -0.5258 compare
  3. 108 Gambia -0.5534 compare
  4. 110 Senegal -0.5964 compare
  5. 111 Indonesia -0.6539 compare
  6. 112 Lithuania -0.6648 compare

See the full ranking of 189 places →

More environment data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Australia?
Standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Australia was -0.5578 in 2023, according to Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
What is the highest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 2.52 in 1974.
What is the lowest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was -2.52 in 2019.
How does Australia rank for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index?
Australia ranks 109th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 52.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html, published as part of Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index
Source
Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
189 places, 12,095 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

The SPEI fulfills the requirements of a drought index since its multi-scalar character enables it to be used by different scientific disciplines to detect, monitor, and analyze droughts. Like the sc-PDSI and the SPI, the SPEI can measure drought severity according to its intensity and duration, and can identify the onset and end of drought episodes. The SPEI allows comparison of drought severity through time and space, since it can be calculated over a wide range of climates, as can the SPI.