Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in China

China: Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was -1.33 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-1.33
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
156th
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.03
in 1964
All-time low
-2.63
in 2011
Years of data
64
1960–2023

Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in China, 1960–2023

-3-2-1012196019912023

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

Analysis

In 2023, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in China stood at -1.33.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and down 103.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in China peaked at 2.03 in 1964 and was at its lowest, -2.63, in 2011.

That places China 156th out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0.2155 -0.8241 2.03 10
1970s 0.4072 -1.47 2.02 10
1980s 0.3593 -1.43 1.96 10
1990s 0.3526 -0.9648 1.61 10
2000s -1.21 -2.33 0.3118 10
2010s -0.3642 -2.63 1.09 10
2020s -0.526 -1.4 0.4652 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 153 Guatemala -1.26 compare
  2. 154 Costa Rica -1.29 compare
  3. 155 Italy -1.31 compare
  4. 157 East Timor -1.39 compare
  5. 158 Egypt -1.4 compare
  6. 159 Iraq -1.46 compare

See the full ranking of 189 places →

More environment data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in China?
Standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in China was -1.33 in 2023, according to Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
What is the highest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 2.03 in 1964.
What is the lowest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was -2.63 in 2011.
How does China rank for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index?
China ranks 156th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 103.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China 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.