Average annual surface temperature in Greenland
Greenland: Average annual surface temperature was -16.62 °C in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
-16.62 °C
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
193rd
of 193 countries
All-time high
-15.9 °C
in 2010
All-time low
-21.53 °C
in 1943
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in Greenland, 1940–2025
Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in °C.
Analysis
In 2025, average annual surface temperature in Greenland stood at -16.62 °C.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in Greenland peaked at -15.9 °C in 2010 and was at its lowest, -21.53 °C, in 1943.
Greenland ranks 193rd of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in Greenland, year by year
| Year | °C | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | -18.98 °C | — |
| 1941 | -17.94 °C | -5.5% |
| 1942 | -19.17 °C | +6.8% |
| 1943 | -21.53 °C | +12.3% |
| 1944 | -19.99 °C | -7.1% |
| 1945 | -19.36 °C | -3.1% |
| 1946 | -18.67 °C | -3.6% |
| 1947 | -18.89 °C | +1.2% |
| 1948 | -20.87 °C | +10.5% |
| 1949 | -20.99 °C | +0.6% |
| 1950 | -19.38 °C | -7.7% |
| 1951 | -20.2 °C | +4.3% |
| 1952 | -18.63 °C | -7.8% |
| 1953 | -19.7 °C | +5.8% |
| 1954 | -18.83 °C | -4.4% |
| 1955 | -19.18 °C | +1.9% |
| 1956 | -19.55 °C | +2.0% |
| 1957 | -19.54 °C | -0.1% |
| 1958 | -19.18 °C | -1.8% |
| 1959 | -19.36 °C | +0.9% |
| 1960 | -18.23 °C | -5.8% |
| 1961 | -19.71 °C | +8.1% |
| 1962 | -19.45 °C | -1.3% |
| 1963 | -19.06 °C | -2.0% |
| 1964 | -19.32 °C | +1.4% |
| 1965 | -18.59 °C | -3.8% |
| 1966 | -20.38 °C | +9.6% |
| 1967 | -19.22 °C | -5.7% |
| 1968 | -18.47 °C | -3.9% |
| 1969 | -18.72 °C | +1.4% |
| 1970 | -18.73 °C | +0.1% |
| 1971 | -20.33 °C | +8.5% |
| 1972 | -19.03 °C | -6.4% |
| 1973 | -19.6 °C | +3.0% |
| 1974 | -19.23 °C | -1.9% |
| 1975 | -19.87 °C | +3.3% |
| 1976 | -18.44 °C | -7.2% |
| 1977 | -18.74 °C | +1.6% |
| 1978 | -19.11 °C | +2.0% |
| 1979 | -19.39 °C | +1.4% |
| 1980 | -18.35 °C | -5.4% |
| 1981 | -19.59 °C | +6.8% |
| 1982 | -19.82 °C | +1.2% |
| 1983 | -20.7 °C | +4.5% |
| 1984 | -19.74 °C | -4.7% |
| 1985 | -18.51 °C | -6.2% |
| 1986 | -18.93 °C | +2.3% |
| 1987 | -18.47 °C | -2.4% |
| 1988 | -18.69 °C | +1.2% |
| 1989 | -19.91 °C | +6.5% |
| 1990 | -19.29 °C | -3.1% |
| 1991 | -19.18 °C | -0.6% |
| 1992 | -20.45 °C | +6.6% |
| 1993 | -19.93 °C | -2.5% |
| 1994 | -19.42 °C | -2.6% |
| 1995 | -18.68 °C | -3.8% |
| 1996 | -17.76 °C | -5.0% |
| 1997 | -18.57 °C | +4.6% |
| 1998 | -18.08 °C | -2.6% |
| 1999 | -19.09 °C | +5.6% |
| 2000 | -18.48 °C | -3.2% |
| 2001 | -18.28 °C | -1.1% |
| 2002 | -18.01 °C | -1.5% |
| 2003 | -17.41 °C | -3.3% |
| 2004 | -18.25 °C | +4.9% |
| 2005 | -17.23 °C | -5.6% |
| 2006 | -18.26 °C | +6.0% |
| 2007 | -18.44 °C | +1.0% |
| 2008 | -18.38 °C | -0.3% |
| 2009 | -18.96 °C | +3.2% |
| 2010 | -15.9 °C | -16.2% |
| 2011 | -19.11 °C | +20.2% |
| 2012 | -17.4 °C | -8.9% |
| 2013 | -18.7 °C | +7.5% |
| 2014 | -18.06 °C | -3.4% |
| 2015 | -19.58 °C | +8.4% |
| 2016 | -16.55 °C | -15.5% |
| 2017 | -17.84 °C | +7.8% |
| 2018 | -18.36 °C | +2.9% |
| 2019 | -17.06 °C | -7.1% |
| 2020 | -18.37 °C | +7.7% |
| 2021 | -16.91 °C | -7.9% |
| 2022 | -17.21 °C | +1.8% |
| 2023 | -17.64 °C | +2.5% |
| 2024 | -17.9 °C | +1.4% |
| 2025 | -16.62 °C | -7.1% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's -16.62 °C is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.86 °C. (65 countries reporting)
- Greenland's -16.62 °C is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.44 °C. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | -19.64 °C | -21.53 °C | -17.94 °C | 10 |
| 1950s | -19.35 °C | -20.2 °C | -18.63 °C | 10 |
| 1960s | -19.11 °C | -20.38 °C | -18.23 °C | 10 |
| 1970s | -19.25 °C | -20.33 °C | -18.44 °C | 10 |
| 1980s | -19.27 °C | -20.7 °C | -18.35 °C | 10 |
| 1990s | -19.05 °C | -20.45 °C | -17.76 °C | 10 |
| 2000s | -18.17 °C | -18.96 °C | -17.23 °C | 10 |
| 2010s | -17.86 °C | -19.58 °C | -15.9 °C | 10 |
| 2020s | -17.44 °C | -18.37 °C | -16.62 °C | 6 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More reference data data for Greenland
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2128 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0004 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0986 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1141 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0041 (2019)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 6.82 (2017)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 7.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per unit of GDP 0 metric tons per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per capita 0.0005 metric tons per person (2024)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 30 metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in Greenland?
- Average annual surface temperature in Greenland was -16.62 °C in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was -15.9 °C in 2010.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was -21.53 °C in 1943.
- How does Greenland rank for average annual surface temperature?
- Greenland ranks 193rd out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greenland data come from?
- The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average annual surface temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.