Average annual surface temperature in United States
United States: Average annual surface temperature was 10.43 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
10.43
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
158th
of 193 countries
All-time high
10.82
in 2016
All-time low
7.85
in 1942
Years of data
86
1940–2025
Average annual surface temperature in United States, 1940–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 10.43 for average annual surface temperature in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in United States peaked at 10.82 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 7.85, in 1942.
That places United States 158th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.
Average annual surface temperature in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 8.05 | — |
| 1941 | 8.02 | -0.4% |
| 1942 | 7.85 | -2.1% |
| 1943 | 8.38 | +6.7% |
| 1944 | 8.49 | +1.3% |
| 1945 | 8.09 | -4.7% |
| 1946 | 8.38 | +3.6% |
| 1947 | 7.85 | -6.3% |
| 1948 | 8.27 | +5.3% |
| 1949 | 8.71 | +5.4% |
| 1950 | 8.48 | -2.7% |
| 1951 | 8.27 | -2.5% |
| 1952 | 8.89 | +7.4% |
| 1953 | 9.4 | +5.8% |
| 1954 | 9.22 | -1.9% |
| 1955 | 8.39 | -8.9% |
| 1956 | 8.55 | +1.8% |
| 1957 | 8.99 | +5.2% |
| 1958 | 8.82 | -1.9% |
| 1959 | 8.67 | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 8.54 | -1.5% |
| 1961 | 8.43 | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 8.74 | +3.7% |
| 1963 | 8.87 | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 8.35 | -5.8% |
| 1965 | 8.44 | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 8.33 | -1.3% |
| 1967 | 8.69 | +4.3% |
| 1968 | 8.37 | -3.7% |
| 1969 | 8.6 | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 8.54 | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 8.29 | -2.9% |
| 1972 | 8.24 | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 8.81 | +6.9% |
| 1974 | 8.74 | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 8.32 | -4.8% |
| 1976 | 8.5 | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 9.14 | +7.5% |
| 1978 | 8.61 | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 8.52 | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 9.02 | +5.8% |
| 1981 | 9.59 | +6.3% |
| 1982 | 8.4 | -12.3% |
| 1983 | 8.82 | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 8.66 | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 8.48 | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 9.37 | +10.6% |
| 1987 | 9.49 | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 9.21 | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 8.79 | -4.5% |
| 1990 | 9.47 | +7.7% |
| 1991 | 9.4 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 8.92 | -5.1% |
| 1993 | 8.79 | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 9.26 | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 9.29 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 8.59 | -7.5% |
| 1997 | 8.89 | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 9.86 | +11.0% |
| 1999 | 9.38 | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 9.44 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 9.54 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 9.62 | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 9.54 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 9.54 | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 9.85 | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 9.97 | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 9.86 | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 8.99 | -8.9% |
| 2009 | 9.11 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 9.51 | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 9.55 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 10.39 | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 9.2 | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 9.45 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 10.34 | +9.4% |
| 2016 | 10.82 | +4.6% |
| 2017 | 10.46 | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 10.08 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 9.85 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 10.27 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 10.22 | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 9.87 | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 10.35 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | 10.71 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | 10.43 | -2.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 10.43 is below the median for high income countries, which is 12.86, 81% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 8.21 | 7.85 | 8.71 | 10 |
| 1950s | 8.77 | 8.27 | 9.4 | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.53 | 8.33 | 8.87 | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.57 | 8.24 | 9.14 | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.98 | 8.4 | 9.59 | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.19 | 8.59 | 9.86 | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.55 | 8.99 | 9.97 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.96 | 9.2 | 10.82 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.31 | 9.87 | 10.71 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 155 Montenegro 10.86 compare
- 156 Ireland 10.75 compare
- 157 Ukraine 10.49 compare
- 159 Luxembourg 10.39 compare
- 160 United Kingdom 10.37 compare
- 161 Germany 10.08 compare
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual surface temperature in United States?
- Average annual surface temperature in United States was 10.43 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 10.82 in 2016.
- What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.85 in 1942.
- How does United States rank for average annual surface temperature?
- United States ranks 158th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from 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).