How have things changed?, per square kilometre by country
How have things changed? divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Countries reporting
212
Highest
4,535 metric tons per square kilometre
Nauru
Lowest
0 metric tons per square kilometre
Mongolia
Median
0.8649 metric tons per square kilometre
Years covered
59
1965–2023
Data points
11,549
What the numbers show
How have things changed?, per square kilometre is currently reported for 212 countries. The highest value is 4,535 metric tons per square kilometre in Nauru; the lowest is 0 metric tons per square kilometre in Mongolia.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.8649 metric tons per square kilometre, and the mean is 44.19 metric tons per square kilometre.
Over the past decade 113 countries rose and 96 fell. The largest increase was in Nauru (up 34,373.4%), and the largest decrease in Mongolia (down 100.0%).
How have things changed?, per square kilometre: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nauru | 4,535 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 34,373.4% | volatile |
| 2 | Tuvalu | 1,633 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 279.1% | volatile |
| 3 | Faroe Islands | 650.24 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 60.8% | rising |
| 4 | Maldives | 539.25 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 24.2% | volatile |
| 5 | Marshall Islands | 410.77 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 8.3% | volatile |
| 6 | Kiribati | 318.01 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 207.9% | volatile |
| 7 | Seychelles | 302.71 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 88.4% | volatile |
| 8 | Micronesia (country) | 236.21 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 308.1% | volatile |
| 9 | Hong Kong | 84.42 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 49.0% | flat |
| 10 | Malta | 71.4 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 99.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Macao | 45.45 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 8.2% | volatile |
| 12 | South Korea | 37.98 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 13 | Bangladesh | 37.82 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 44.3% | volatile |
| 14 | Vietnam | 28.19 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 50.7% | volatile |
| 15 | Bahrain | 20.76 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.1% | volatile |
| 16 | Mauritius | 19.11 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 358.9% | volatile |
| 17 | Iceland | 14.85 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 18 | Philippines | 13.76 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.4% | rising |
| 19 | Denmark | 13.21 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 25.2% | falling |
| 20 | Indonesia | 12.27 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 18.3% | volatile |
| 21 | Norway | 11.51 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.9% | rising |
| 22 | Grenada | 11.09 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 31.9% | rising |
| 23 | Japan | 10.6 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 19.0% | falling |
| 24 | China | 9.75 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 29.5% | volatile |
| 25 | Netherlands | 9.18 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.3% | rising |
| 26 | Belize | 8.68 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 372.8% | volatile |
| 27 | Ecuador | 7.78 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 129.6% | volatile |
| 28 | British Virgin Islands | 7.52 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 6.2% | volatile |
| 29 | Antigua and Barbuda | 7.47 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 29.0% | volatile |
| 30 | Comoros | 7.46 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 68.3% | volatile |
| 31 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 7.44 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 32 | North Korea | 7.42 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 24.0% | flat |
| 33 | Sri Lanka | 6.45 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.8% | volatile |
| 34 | American Samoa | 6.33 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 54.3% | volatile |
| 35 | Singapore | 6.1 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 57.2% | falling |
| 36 | Isle of Man | 6.1 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 39.7% | volatile |
| 37 | Bermuda | 5.94 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 30.4% | volatile |
| 38 | India | 5.89 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 91.1% | volatile |
| 39 | Sao Tome and Principe | 5.88 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 35.1% | volatile |
| 40 | Vanuatu | 5.69 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 1.9% | volatile |
| 41 | Chile | 5.52 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 42 | Gambia | 5.49 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 26.8% | volatile |
| 43 | Malaysia | 5.48 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 11.0% | rising |
| 44 | Curacao | 5.07 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 91.4% | falling |
| 45 | Thailand | 4.99 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 11.2% | rising |
| 46 | Cambodia | 4.91 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 18.2% | volatile |
| 47 | Myanmar | 4.33 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 0.8% | volatile |
| 48 | Uganda | 4.22 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 63.6% | volatile |
| 49 | French Polynesia | 4 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 19.1% | volatile |
| 50 | Samoa | 3.79 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 4.6% | volatile |
| 51 | Ireland | 3.78 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.1% | rising |
| 52 | United Kingdom | 3.73 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.3% | falling |
| 53 | Brunei | 3.68 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 472.4% | volatile |
| 54 | Saint Martin (French Part) | 3.6 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 55 | El Salvador | 3.31 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 23.7% | volatile |
| 56 | Saint Lucia | 3.29 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 57 | Morocco | 3.22 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 58 | Panama | 3.12 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 59 | Georgia | 3.07 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 1,166.2% | volatile |
| 60 | Gibraltar | 2.87 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 2,773.9% | volatile |
| 61 | Sierra Leone | 2.87 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.0% | volatile |
| 62 | Peru | 2.83 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 39.6% | falling |
| 63 | Senegal | 2.76 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 64 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2.61 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 96.2% | volatile |
| 65 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2.59 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 97.4% | volatile |
| 66 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2.56 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 67 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 2.48 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 68 | Malawi | 2.31 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 79.3% | volatile |
| 69 | Oman | 2.3 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 244.6% | volatile |
| 70 | Cape Verde | 2.21 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 75.3% | volatile |
| 71 | Ghana | 2.2 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 55.4% | rising |
| 72 | Barbados | 2.18 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 68.6% | falling |
| 73 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.12 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 406.5% | volatile |
| 74 | Portugal | 2.03 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 9.9% | falling |
| 75 | Egypt | 2.03 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 38.9% | volatile |
| 76 | Spain | 2.02 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 77 | Estonia | 1.82 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 12.5% | falling |
| 78 | Fiji | 1.79 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.9% | volatile |
| 79 | Palau | 1.77 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.2% | volatile |
| 80 | Solomon Islands | 1.74 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 81 | Tonga | 1.72 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 38.8% | volatile |
| 82 | Guinea | 1.72 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 83.0% | volatile |
| 83 | Lithuania | 1.7 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 12.3% | flat |
| 84 | Rwanda | 1.67 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 74.8% | volatile |
| 85 | New Zealand | 1.66 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 19.4% | volatile |
| 86 | Qatar | 1.66 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 59.5% | volatile |
| 87 | Greece | 1.59 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 88 | Croatia | 1.48 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 7.2% | rising |
| 89 | Turkey | 1.31 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 66.2% | rising |
| 90 | United States Virgin Islands | 1.26 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 11.8% | volatile |
| 91 | Jamaica | 1.25 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 29.7% | rising |
| 92 | France | 1.23 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 93 | Nigeria | 1.16 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Honduras | 1.1 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 87.5% | volatile |
| 95 | Mexico | 1.09 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 96 | Latvia | 1.09 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 42.0% | falling |
| 97 | Laos | 0.9711 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 56.9% | volatile |
| 98 | Greenland | 0.968 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 99 | Aruba | 0.9528 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 18.3% | volatile |
| 100 | Armenia | 0.9185 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 65.5% | volatile |
| 101 | Cayman Islands | 0.8958 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 59.3% | volatile |
| 102 | Costa Rica | 0.8949 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 103 | Pakistan | 0.8804 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 104 | Iran | 0.8741 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 62.0% | volatile |
| 105 | Bahamas | 0.8692 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 31.8% | rising |
| 106 | United Arab Emirates | 0.8688 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.6% | rising |
| 107 | Italy | 0.861 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 108 | Tunisia | 0.831 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 109 | Azerbaijan | 0.8046 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 30.6% | volatile |
| 110 | Nepal | 0.7934 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 97.7% | volatile |
| 111 | Burundi | 0.7911 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 51.2% | rising |
| 112 | Israel | 0.7678 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 31.4% | falling |
| 113 | Cyprus | 0.7494 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 6.2% | volatile |
| 114 | Albania | 0.7058 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 52.6% | volatile |
| 115 | Dominica | 0.6947 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 116 | Poland | 0.6937 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 117 | Tanzania | 0.6813 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 54.2% | rising |
| 118 | Nicaragua | 0.6694 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.5% | volatile |
| 119 | Palestine | 0.6458 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 75.6% | volatile |
| 120 | Mauritania | 0.6435 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 71.0% | volatile |
| 121 | Germany | 0.6222 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.6% | volatile |
| 122 | Mozambique | 0.6145 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 97.4% | volatile |
| 123 | Haiti | 0.6064 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.2% | volatile |
| 124 | Belgium | 0.5986 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 125 | Colombia | 0.5671 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 38.2% | volatile |
| 126 | United States | 0.5633 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 13.6% | rising |
| 127 | Papua New Guinea | 0.5585 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 7.4% | volatile |
| 128 | Guatemala | 0.5209 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 49.0% | volatile |
| 129 | East Timor | 0.5149 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 59.2% | volatile |
| 130 | Cameroon | 0.511 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 16.0% | volatile |
| 131 | Benin | 0.484 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 26.3% | rising |
| 132 | Monaco | 0.4798 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.7% | volatile |
| 133 | Finland | 0.4734 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 20.8% | rising |
| 134 | Namibia | 0.4536 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 31.2% | volatile |
| 135 | Angola | 0.4517 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 38.3% | volatile |
| 136 | Uzbekistan | 0.4445 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 416.5% | volatile |
| 137 | Dominican Republic | 0.4408 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 44.2% | rising |
| 138 | South Africa | 0.4387 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 139 | Togo | 0.4377 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 140 | Moldova | 0.4326 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 55.8% | volatile |
| 141 | Sweden | 0.4078 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.9% | falling |
| 142 | Uruguay | 0.3837 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 143 | Lebanon | 0.3586 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 144 | Russia | 0.3519 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 145 | Kenya | 0.3319 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.3% | volatile |
| 146 | Argentina | 0.3197 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.2% | rising |
| 147 | Liberia | 0.3072 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 94.4% | rising |
| 148 | Madagascar | 0.3052 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 51.6% | rising |
| 149 | Yemen | 0.2861 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 34.0% | volatile |
| 150 | Czechia | 0.2849 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 4.9% | rising |
| 151 | Venezuela | 0.2805 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 1.6% | rising |
| 152 | New Caledonia | 0.2756 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 8.5% | rising |
| 153 | Zambia | 0.269 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 30.3% | volatile |
| 154 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.2676 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 30.8% | rising |
| 155 | Guam | 0.2616 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 35.4% | volatile |
| 156 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.2577 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 157 | Zimbabwe | 0.2563 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 37.3% | volatile |
| 158 | Cuba | 0.2528 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 49.0% | volatile |
| 159 | Hungary | 0.2453 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 3.8% | falling |
| 160 | Puerto Rico | 0.2435 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 11.8% | falling |
| 161 | Northern Mariana Islands | 0.2229 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 45.8% | falling |
| 162 | Suriname | 0.1987 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.4% | volatile |
| 163 | Guyana | 0.1889 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 53.2% | volatile |
| 164 | Kuwait | 0.1838 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 29.0% | falling |
| 165 | Congo | 0.1812 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.1% | rising |
| 166 | Brazil | 0.1808 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 167 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.1756 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 7,917.1% | volatile |
| 168 | Montenegro | 0.1621 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 8.9% | flat |
| 169 | Somalia | 0.158 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 230.3% | volatile |
| 170 | Bulgaria | 0.1532 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.8% | volatile |
| 171 | Iraq | 0.1393 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 14.7% | volatile |
| 172 | Djibouti | 0.1374 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 87.2% | volatile |
| 173 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.1179 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 174 | Ethiopia | 0.1168 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 243.2% | volatile |
| 175 | Gabon | 0.1165 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 18.1% | rising |
| 176 | Burkina Faso | 0.115 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 51.7% | volatile |
| 177 | Serbia | 0.1079 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.7% | falling |
| 178 | Switzerland | 0.1048 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 15.0% | flat |
| 179 | Saudi Arabia | 0.1 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 164.7% | volatile |
| 180 | Mali | 0.0996 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 181 | Canada | 0.0991 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.1% | falling |
| 182 | Paraguay | 0.0963 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 6.9% | volatile |
| 183 | Slovakia | 0.092 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 43.1% | rising |
| 184 | Chad | 0.0867 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 185 | North Macedonia | 0.0854 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 186 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.0854 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 35.4% | volatile |
| 187 | South Sudan | 0.0792 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 35.2% | rising |
| 188 | Romania | 0.0777 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 16.3% | volatile |
| 189 | Ukraine | 0.0756 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 80.7% | volatile |
| 190 | Slovenia | 0.0695 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 191 | Lesotho | 0.0687 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 278.9% | volatile |
| 192 | Austria | 0.0669 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 53.9% | rising |
| 193 | Central African Republic | 0.0472 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.7% | volatile |
| 194 | Australia | 0.0462 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 195 | Algeria | 0.0422 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 196 | Bolivia | 0.0413 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 197 | Belarus | 0.0394 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 43.9% | rising |
| 198 | Niger | 0.0394 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 10.3% | volatile |
| 199 | Tajikistan | 0.0393 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 247.4% | volatile |
| 200 | Jordan | 0.0381 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 161.9% | volatile |
| 201 | Turkmenistan | 0.0328 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 202 | Syria | 0.0324 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 32.3% | volatile |
| 203 | Sudan | 0.0247 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 204 | Kazakhstan | 0.0227 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 72.4% | rising |
| 205 | Afghanistan | 0.0209 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | up 145.7% | volatile |
| 206 | Libya | 0.0189 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 6.6% | volatile |
| 207 | Eritrea | 0.0155 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 48.0% | volatile |
| 208 | Eswatini | 0.0052 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.0% | rising |
| 209 | Luxembourg | 0.0031 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 210 | Botswana | 0.0021 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 72.8% | volatile |
| 211 | Bhutan | 0.0013 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 34.1% | rising |
| 212 | Mongolia | 0 metric tons per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
How this figure is calculated
How have things changed? divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
How have things changed? ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- How have things changed? Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
How have things changed? divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.