Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in United States

United States: Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was 0.1948 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0.1948
Change on year
up 127.9%
World rank
56th
of 188 countries
All-time high
2.26
in 2019
All-time low
-1.94
in 1988
Years of data
64
1960–2023

Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in United States, 1960–2023

-2-1012196019912023

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in United States is 0.1948, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 127.9% on the previous year and down 85.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in United States peaked at 2.26 in 2019 and was at its lowest, -1.94, in 1988.

United States ranks 56th 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 -0.106 -1.38 0.8319 10
1970s 0.2633 -1.64 1.69 10
1980s 0.2181 -1.94 2.23 10
1990s 0.9208 -0.3797 1.93 10
2000s 0.0858 -0.8346 1.43 10
2010s 0.7204 -1.61 2.26 10
2020s -0.2023 -0.6992 0.1948 4

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 53 Iceland 0.2221 compare
  2. 54 Lebanon 0.2115 compare
  3. 55 Kiribati 0.1953 compare
  4. 57 Liechtenstein 0.1898 compare
  5. 58 Rwanda 0.1688 compare
  6. 59 Zambia 0.1675 compare

See the full ranking of 189 places →

More environment data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in United States?
Standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in United States was 0.1948 in 2023, according to Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
What is the highest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 2.26 in 2019.
What is the lowest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was -1.94 in 1988.
How does United States rank for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index?
United States ranks 56th out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is down 85.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States 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.