Statizoid

Share of land covered by lakes and rivers by country

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area).

Countries reporting
204
Highest
90.5%
Azerbaijan
Lowest
0.0%
Algeria
Median
0.4%
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
4,784

What the numbers show

Share of land covered by lakes and rivers is currently reported for 204 countries. The highest value is 90.5% in Azerbaijan; the lowest is 0.0% in Algeria.

The median across all reporting countries is 0.4%, and the mean is 1.6%.

Over the past decade 116 countries rose and 49 fell. The largest increase was in Kiribati (up 500.0%), and the largest decrease in Algeria (down 100.0%).

Share of land covered by lakes and rivers: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Azerbaijan 90.5% 2022 up 15.0% rising
2 Malawi 19.8% 2022 down 2.7% flat
3 Turkmenistan 18.1% 2022 up 2.9% rising
4 Saint Martin (French Part) 11.0% 2022 up 1.7% rising
5 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 10.5% 2022 up 1.5% rising
6 Canada 9.3% 2022 up 0.4% flat
7 Bahamas 8.1% 2022 up 21.1% rising
8 Nicaragua 7.2% 2022 up 0.1% rising
9 Burundi 7.0% 2022 up 0.3% rising
10 Finland 6.6% 2022 up 3.8% rising
11 Rwanda 5.8% 2022 up 1.4% rising
12 Kazakhstan 5.7% 2022 up 3.4% rising
13 Estonia 4.5% 2022 unchanged rising
14 Armenia 4.4% 2022 up 0.5% rising
15 Macao 4.3% 2022 down 5.4% falling
16 Greenland 4.2% 2022 down 24.2% rising
17 Kyrgyzstan 3.5% 2022 unchanged flat
18 Iran 3.4% 2022 up 4.0% rising
19 Uganda 3.3% 2022 up 0.6% rising
20 Switzerland 3.1% 2022 up 0.3% rising
21 British Virgin Islands 3.1% 2022 up 4.0% rising
22 French Polynesia 2.9% 2022 up 338.5% volatile
23 United States 2.6% 2022 up 0.8% rising
24 Russia 2.5% 2022 up 3.3% rising
25 Tanzania 2.3% 2022 up 4.6% flat
26 Tonga 2.2% 2022 up 231.3% volatile
27 Israel 2.0% 2022 unchanged rising
28 Norway 1.9% 2022 up 7.2% rising
29 Uzbekistan 1.9% 2022 down 21.9% falling
30 Cambodia 1.9% 2022 up 1.1% rising
31 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.8% 2022 up 5.1% rising
32 North Macedonia 1.8% 2022 unchanged rising
33 Hong Kong 1.6% 2022 down 7.9% rising
34 Iceland 1.6% 2022 up 16.7% rising
35 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.5% 2022 up 0.7% rising
36 Chile 1.5% 2022 up 2.1% rising
37 Cayman Islands 1.4% 2022 up 43.3% rising
38 Singapore 1.4% 2022 down 20.7% flat
39 Kenya 1.4% 2022 up 3.8% rising
40 Belize 1.3% 2022 down 1.5% flat
40 Lithuania 1.3% 2022 up 3.1% rising
42 Ireland 1.3% 2022 up 34.7% rising
43 Hungary 1.2% 2022 up 4.2% rising
43 New Zealand 1.2% 2022 up 0.8% rising
45 Latvia 1.2% 2022 up 1.7% rising
46 Zambia 1.2% 2022 down 0.8% flat
47 Cuba 1.1% 2022 up 14.0% rising
48 Bangladesh 1.1% 2022 up 1.9% flat
49 China 1.1% 2022 up 8.2% rising
50 Mozambique 1.0% 2022 down 1.0% rising
51 Denmark 1.0% 2022 up 4.1% rising
52 Poland 1.0% 2022 up 1.0% rising
53 Guatemala 1.0% 2022 unchanged flat
54 Germany 0.9% 2022 up 5.6% rising
55 Peru 0.9% 2022 down 3.2% flat
56 Argentina 0.9% 2022 up 2.2% falling
56 Gambia 0.9% 2022 up 13.8% rising
56 Turkey 0.9% 2022 down 1.1% rising
59 Mongolia 0.9% 2022 unchanged rising
60 Sri Lanka 0.9% 2022 up 8.8% rising
61 Bolivia 0.8% 2022 down 13.3% falling
62 Albania 0.8% 2022 up 7.7% rising
63 Tajikistan 0.8% 2022 up 1.2% rising
64 Dominican Republic 0.8% 2022 up 2.6% rising
64 Philippines 0.8% 2022 down 3.6% flat
66 Vietnam 0.8% 2022 down 10.2% rising
67 El Salvador 0.8% 2022 up 2.7% flat
68 Faroe Islands 0.8% 2022 — volatile
69 United Kingdom 0.8% 2022 up 29.3% rising
70 Brazil 0.7% 2022 down 4.0% flat
71 Moldova 0.7% 2022 down 2.8% rising
71 Romania 0.7% 2022 up 1.4% rising
73 Ecuador 0.7% 2022 up 11.5% rising
73 Mauritius 0.7% 2022 unchanged rising
75 Curacao 0.7% 2022 down 5.6% falling
76 Austria 0.7% 2022 up 1.5% rising
77 Italy 0.7% 2022 up 3.2% rising
77 Ukraine 0.7% 2022 down 3.0% rising
79 Colombia 0.6% 2022 down 14.9% flat
80 Antigua and Barbuda 0.6% 2022 down 3.2% rising
80 Haiti 0.6% 2022 down 3.2% rising
82 Gabon 0.6% 2022 up 13.5% rising
83 Ethiopia 0.6% 2022 up 3.6% rising
84 Djibouti 0.6% 2022 down 9.5% rising
85 Venezuela 0.6% 2022 down 3.5% rising
86 Papua New Guinea 0.5% 2022 up 5.9% rising
87 Greece 0.5% 2022 up 13.3% rising
88 Uruguay 0.5% 2022 up 13.6% rising
89 Jordan 0.5% 2022 down 2.0% rising
90 Liechtenstein 0.5% 2022 up 17.1% rising
91 Congo 0.5% 2022 unchanged rising
91 Serbia 0.5% 2022 unchanged rising
93 France 0.5% 2022 up 4.5% rising
93 Indonesia 0.5% 2022 up 4.5% rising
93 South Korea 0.5% 2022 up 7.0% falling
96 Bahrain 0.5% 2022 up 7.1% falling
96 Czechia 0.5% 2022 up 4.7% rising
96 Iraq 0.5% 2022 up 50.0% rising
96 Laos 0.5% 2022 up 12.5% rising
96 Myanmar 0.5% 2022 up 4.7% rising
101 Northern Mariana Islands 0.4% 2022 up 175.0% volatile
101 Solomon Islands 0.4% 2022 up 340.0% volatile
101 Thailand 0.4% 2022 unchanged rising
104 Honduras 0.4% 2022 up 16.2% rising
104 North Korea 0.4% 2022 down 2.3% rising
106 Japan 0.4% 2022 down 2.3% falling
107 United States Virgin Islands 0.4% 2022 down 4.7% rising
108 Belgium 0.4% 2022 up 8.3% rising
109 Bulgaria 0.4% 2022 unchanged rising
110 Gibraltar 0.4% 2022 down 7.7% flat
111 Brunei 0.3% 2022 up 13.8% rising
111 Georgia 0.3% 2022 up 3.1% rising
111 Pakistan 0.3% 2022 up 22.2% rising
111 Paraguay 0.3% 2022 up 6.5% flat
111 Tuvalu 0.3% 2022 up 266.7% volatile
116 Micronesia (country) 0.3% 2022 up 93.8% rising
116 Madagascar 0.3% 2022 down 8.8% flat
118 Marshall Islands 0.3% 2022 up 150.0% rising
119 Mexico 0.3% 2022 unchanged rising
119 Puerto Rico 0.3% 2022 up 26.1% rising
121 Seychelles 0.3% 2022 up 3.7% rising
122 Senegal 0.3% 2022 up 12.5% rising
123 Aruba 0.3% 2022 up 4.0% flat
124 Croatia 0.2% 2022 up 8.7% rising
124 India 0.2% 2022 up 4.2% rising
126 Benin 0.2% 2022 unchanged rising
127 American Samoa 0.2% 2022 up 43.8% rising
127 Vanuatu 0.2% 2022 up 43.8% rising
129 Malaysia 0.2% 2022 down 4.3% flat
129 Nauru 0.2% 2022 — volatile
129 Slovakia 0.2% 2022 up 10.0% rising
132 Bhutan 0.2% 2022 unchanged rising
132 Egypt 0.2% 2022 up 5.3% falling
132 Portugal 0.2% 2022 up 5.3% rising
132 Slovenia 0.2% 2022 up 11.1% rising
136 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.2% 2022 up 5.6% rising
136 Guyana 0.2% 2022 up 11.8% rising
136 Syria 0.2% 2022 down 9.5% rising
139 New Caledonia 0.2% 2022 down 14.3% rising
139 Nigeria 0.2% 2022 unchanged rising
141 Cameroon 0.2% 2022 down 5.6% rising
141 Cape Verde 0.2% 2022 down 22.7% falling
143 Kuwait 0.1% 2022 up 150.0% rising
144 Guinea-Bissau 0.1% 2022 up 7.7% rising
144 Montenegro 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
144 Nepal 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
144 Palau 0.1% 2022 up 40.0% rising
144 Qatar 0.1% 2022 up 27.3% rising
149 Isle of Man 0.1% 2022 up 30.0% rising
149 Chad 0.1% 2022 up 30.0% rising
149 Trinidad and Tobago 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
152 Spain 0.1% 2022 up 9.1% rising
152 Kiribati 0.1% 2022 up 500.0% volatile
154 Andorra 0.1% 2022 down 21.4% rising
154 Comoros 0.1% 2022 up 10.0% rising
154 Guam 0.1% 2022 up 175.0% rising
154 Luxembourg 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
154 Monaco 0.1% 2022 up 22.2% rising
154 Sierra Leone 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
154 South Africa 0.1% 2022 down 8.3% falling
161 Grenada 0.1% 2022 up 25.0% rising
161 Jamaica 0.1% 2022 up 11.1% rising
161 Suriname 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
161 Zimbabwe 0.1% 2022 down 9.1% rising
165 Costa Rica 0.1% 2022 up 12.5% falling
165 Cyprus 0.1% 2022 up 50.0% rising
165 Ghana 0.1% 2022 down 10.0% rising
165 South Sudan 0.1% 2022 down 10.0% rising
165 Samoa 0.1% 2022 up 50.0% rising
170 Afghanistan 0.1% 2022 down 11.1% volatile
170 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
170 Mali 0.1% 2022 up 14.3% rising
173 Central African Republic 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
173 Equatorial Guinea 0.1% 2022 down 12.5% rising
173 Sudan 0.1% 2022 up 250.0% volatile
176 Australia 0.1% 2022 down 14.3% falling
176 Malta 0.1% 2022 down 60.0% rising
176 Panama 0.1% 2022 unchanged flat
176 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.1% 2022 down 25.0% falling
180 Angola 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
180 Eritrea 0.1% 2022 up 66.7% rising
180 Fiji 0.1% 2022 up 25.0% rising
180 Tunisia 0.1% 2022 unchanged rising
184 Burkina Faso 0.0% 2022 up 33.3% rising
184 Botswana 0.0% 2022 up 100.0% volatile
184 Eswatini 0.0% 2022 down 33.3% falling
187 Bermuda 0.0% 2022 up 50.0% rising
187 Guinea 0.0% 2022 up 50.0% rising
187 Saint Lucia 0.0% 2022 unchanged rising
187 Morocco 0.0% 2022 unchanged rising
187 Namibia 0.0% 2022 down 25.0% rising
192 Lebanon 0.0% 2022 unchanged falling
192 Liberia 0.0% 2022 unchanged rising
192 Lesotho 0.0% 2022 down 33.3% falling
192 Niger 0.0% 2022 up 100.0% rising
192 Togo 0.0% 2022 unchanged rising
192 East Timor 0.0% 2022 down 50.0% falling
198 Barbados 0.0% 2022 unchanged volatile
198 Mauritania 0.0% 2022 — volatile
198 Oman 0.0% 2022 unchanged flat
198 Saudi Arabia 0.0% 2022 unchanged volatile
198 Somalia 0.0% 2022 unchanged flat
198 Yemen 0.0% 2022 unchanged flat
204 Algeria 0.0% 2022 down 100.0% volatile

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Share of land covered by lakes and rivers by country. Statizoid, drawing on UN Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-land-covered-by-lakes-and-rivers/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of land covered by lakes and rivers
Unit
%
Source
UN Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
208 places, 4,784 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Lakes and rivers permanent water area (% of total land area).