Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in Pakistan
Pakistan: Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was 0.8917 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in Pakistan, 1960–2023
Source: Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 0.8917 for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in 2023.
The figure is down 49.7% on the previous year and up 51.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Pakistan peaked at 1.77 in 2022 and was at its lowest, -2.13, in 2018.
That places Pakistan 15th out of 189 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -0.3344 | — |
| 1961 | 1.24 | -471.0% |
| 1962 | -0.3365 | -127.1% |
| 1963 | -1.28 | +280.4% |
| 1964 | 0.3623 | -128.3% |
| 1965 | 0.191 | -47.3% |
| 1966 | -0.4663 | -344.1% |
| 1967 | 1.41 | -402.1% |
| 1968 | -0.993 | -170.5% |
| 1969 | -1.39 | +40.4% |
| 1970 | -0.1282 | -90.8% |
| 1971 | -1.65 | +1185.1% |
| 1972 | -0.1379 | -91.6% |
| 1973 | 0.1491 | -208.1% |
| 1974 | -1.51 | -1111.6% |
| 1975 | 1.41 | -193.4% |
| 1976 | 1.65 | +17.2% |
| 1977 | -0.3173 | -119.2% |
| 1978 | 1.36 | -529.7% |
| 1979 | 0.6133 | -55.0% |
| 1980 | -0.4 | -165.2% |
| 1981 | 0.1486 | -137.2% |
| 1982 | 1.22 | +719.0% |
| 1983 | 1.41 | +16.0% |
| 1984 | -0.1399 | -109.9% |
| 1985 | -0.774 | +453.3% |
| 1986 | 1.29 | -266.6% |
| 1987 | -1.26 | -198.1% |
| 1988 | 0.1057 | -108.4% |
| 1989 | 0.5579 | +427.8% |
| 1990 | 1.03 | +84.7% |
| 1991 | -0.3409 | -133.1% |
| 1992 | 1.35 | -496.9% |
| 1993 | -1.18 | -187.0% |
| 1994 | 1.63 | -238.8% |
| 1995 | 1.03 | -37.1% |
| 1996 | 0.9041 | -12.0% |
| 1997 | 1.43 | +58.3% |
| 1998 | -0.3329 | -123.3% |
| 1999 | -1.35 | +306.4% |
| 2000 | -1.66 | +23.0% |
| 2001 | -1.37 | -17.7% |
| 2002 | -1.7 | +23.9% |
| 2003 | 1.3 | -176.6% |
| 2004 | -1.38 | -206.1% |
| 2005 | 0.5919 | -142.9% |
| 2006 | 0.9175 | +55.0% |
| 2007 | -0.0514 | -105.6% |
| 2008 | 0.4553 | -985.8% |
| 2009 | -0.9088 | -299.6% |
| 2010 | 1.37 | -250.8% |
| 2011 | 0.046 | -96.6% |
| 2012 | -0.4965 | -1179.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5892 | -218.7% |
| 2014 | -0.9301 | -257.9% |
| 2015 | 1.51 | -262.2% |
| 2016 | -0.6337 | -142.0% |
| 2017 | -0.8426 | +33.0% |
| 2018 | -2.13 | +152.7% |
| 2019 | 1.15 | -154.2% |
| 2020 | 1.58 | +36.9% |
| 2021 | -1.66 | -204.8% |
| 2022 | 1.77 | -206.9% |
| 2023 | 0.8917 | -49.7% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 0.8917 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -0.0753. (46 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 0.8917 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is -1.51. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.1602 | -1.39 | 1.41 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1445 | -1.65 | 1.65 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.2152 | -1.26 | 1.41 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4175 | -1.35 | 1.63 | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.3805 | -1.7 | 1.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.0364 | -2.13 | 1.51 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6467 | -1.66 | 1.77 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.7034 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Pakistan?
- Standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in Pakistan was 0.8917 in 2023, according to Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
- What is the highest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.77 in 2022.
- What is the lowest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.13 in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index?
- Pakistan ranks 15th out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 51.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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
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.