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Population below five meters above sea level

What share of the population lives less than five meters above sea level.

Unit: % of population Period: 1990–2015 Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank)
Source: World Bank · About the indicator
Average: 7.3% Countries: 215

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country. For all of them that is 2015.

Population below five meters above sea level, 2015

Top-20 · % of population

Population below five meters above sea level, 2015020406080GuyanaGuyana: 78.48%78.48SurinameSuriname: 71.28%71.28Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands: 67.97%67.97GreenlandGreenland: 59.86%59.86GibraltarGibraltar: 56.41%56.41NetherlandsNetherlands: 53.69%53.69MaldivesMaldives: 49.17%49.17TuvaluTuvalu: 39.27%39.27BelizeBelize: 33.86%33.86KiribatiKiribati: 33.53%33.53BahrainBahrain: 32.98%32.98VietnamVietnam: 29.67%29.67Saint MartinSaint Martin: 28.68%28.68SeychellesSeychelles: 28.48%28.48United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates: 26.72%26.72MicronesiaMicronesia: 23.22%23.22MauritaniaMauritania: 21%21Brunei DarussalamBrunei Darussalam: 20.87%20.87Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks and Caicos Islands: 20.76%20.76FijiFiji: 18.26%18.26
Population below five meters above sea level — 2015 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 GY Guyana 78.48 2015 215
2 SR Suriname 71.28 2015 214
3 MH Marshall Islands 67.97 2015 213
4 GL Greenland 59.86 2015 212
5 GI Gibraltar 56.41 2015 211
6 NL Netherlands 53.69 2015 210
7 MV Maldives 49.17 2015 209
8 TV Tuvalu 39.27 2015 208
9 BZ Belize 33.86 2015 207
10 KI Kiribati 33.53 2015 206
11 BH Bahrain 32.98 2015 205
12 VN Vietnam 29.67 2015 204
13 MF Saint Martin 28.68 2015 203
14 SC Seychelles 28.48 2015 202
15 AE United Arab Emirates 26.72 2015 201
16 FM Micronesia 23.22 2015 200
17 MR Mauritania 21 2015 199
18 BN Brunei Darussalam 20.87 2015 198
19 TC Turks and Caicos Islands 20.76 2015 197
20 FJ Fiji 18.26 2015 196
21 SB Solomon Islands 17.86 2015 195
22 KY Cayman Islands 17.62 2015 194
23 TO Tonga 17.5 2015 193
24 TH Thailand 17.47 2015 192
25 MO Macao 17.23 2015 191
26 NR Nauru 16.56 2015 190
27 EG Egypt 16.34 2015 189
28 ER Eritrea 15.49 2015 188
29 PF French Polynesia 14.55 2015 187
30 BS Bahamas 12.86 2015 186
31 DM Dominica 12.86 2015 185
32 VG British Virgin Islands 12.73 2015 184
33 DK Denmark 12.57 2015 183
34 JP Japan 12.44 2015 182
35 PW Palau 12.29 2015 181
36 AG Antigua and Barbuda 12.19 2015 180
37 LR Liberia 11.73 2015 179
38 IS Iceland 11.31 2015 178
39 DJ Djibouti 11.07 2015 177
40 NC New Caledonia 10.87 2015 176
41 PH Philippines 10.52 2015 175
42 LV Latvia 10.23 2015 174
43 MY Malaysia 10.13 2015 173
44 VU Vanuatu 10.11 2015 172
45 GA Gabon 9.53 2015 171
46 JM Jamaica 9.15 2015 170
47 AL Albania 9.15 2015 169
48 TN Tunisia 8.94 2015 168
49 ID Indonesia 8.82 2015 167
50 WS Samoa 8.8 2015 166
51 BD Bangladesh 8.38 2015 165
52 PR Puerto Rico 8.06 2015 164
53 SX Sint Maarten 8.06 2015 163
54 MC Monaco 7.9 2015 162
55 PG Papua New Guinea 7.56 2015 161
56 KN Saint Kitts and Nevis 7.45 2015 160
57 HK Hong Kong 7.29 2015 159
58 BJ Benin 7.25 2015 158
59 BM Bermuda 7.23 2015 157
60 EC Ecuador 7.22 2015 156
61 NO Norway 7.15 2015 155
62 SN Senegal 7.03 2015 154
63 OM Oman 6.84 2015 153
64 LY Libya 6.83 2015 152
65 MM Myanmar 6.81 2015 151
66 QA Qatar 6.75 2015 150
67 CV Cabo Verde 6.45 2015 149
68 MP Northern Mariana Islands 6.28 2015 148
69 PA Panama 6 2015 147
70 IM Isle of Man 5.99 2015 146
71 GD Grenada 5.85 2015 145
72 GQ Equatorial Guinea 5.66 2015 144
73 BE Belgium 5.48 2015 143
74 SE Sweden 5.13 2015 142
75 GR Greece 5.11 2015 141
76 VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.11 2015 140
77 AW Aruba 5 2015 139
78 KP North Korea 4.89 2015 138
79 CN China 4.88 2015 137
80 KW Kuwait 4.76 2015 136
81 VI United States Virgin Islands 4.65 2015 135
82 AS American Samoa 4.63 2015 134
83 IQ Iraq 4.59 2015 133
84 FI Finland 4.56 2015 132
85 GW Guinea-Bissau 4.54 2015 131
86 ME Montenegro 4.41 2015 130
87 HR Croatia 4.31 2015 129
88 GM Gambia 4.31 2015 128
89 MG Madagascar 4.29 2015 127
90 HT Haiti 4.07 2015 126
91 VE Venezuela 4.07 2015 125
92 CY Cyprus 4.04 2015 124
93 TT Trinidad and Tobago 4.02 2015 123
94 ES Spain 4 2015 122
95 GE Georgia 3.85 2015 121
96 LK Sri Lanka 3.83 2015 120
97 IT Italy 3.82 2015 119
98 AU Australia 3.6 2015 118
99 SL Sierra Leone 3.54 2015 117
100 NG Nigeria 3.53 2015 116
101 SO Somalia 3.52 2015 115
102 NZ New Zealand 3.29 2015 114
103 CI Côte d'Ivoire 3.27 2015 113
104 KM Comoros 3.22 2015 112
105 SA Saudi Arabia 3.21 2015 111
106 LC Saint Lucia 3.18 2015 110
107 TL Timor-Leste 2.97 2015 109
108 LB Lebanon 2.95 2015 108
109 MZ Mozambique 2.8 2015 107
110 IE Ireland 2.8 2015 106
111 GB United Kingdom 2.75 2015 105
112 FO Faroe Islands 2.67 2015 104
113 EE Estonia 2.61 2015 103
114 TR Türkiye 2.59 2015 102
115 CU Cuba 2.5 2015 101
116 GU Guam 2.39 2015 100
117 MT Malta 2.38 2015 99
118 GN Guinea 2.35 2015 98
119 CO Colombia 2.34 2015 97
120 CM Cameroon 2.29 2015 96
121 BR Brazil 2.23 2015 95
122 BB Barbados 2.21 2015 94
123 UY Uruguay 2.2 2015 93
124 KR South Korea 2.13 2015 92
125 GH Ghana 2.13 2015 91
126 FR France 2.08 2015 90
127 ST Sao Tome and Principe 2.03 2015 89
128 KH Cambodia 2 2015 88
129 CR Costa Rica 2 2015 87
130 DE Germany 1.99 2015 86
131 US United States 1.98 2015 85
132 IN India 1.88 2015 84
133 DO Dominican Republic 1.84 2015 83
134 HN Honduras 1.82 2015 82
135 NI Nicaragua 1.8 2015 81
136 MU Mauritius 1.71 2015 80
137 IL Israel 1.7 2015 79
138 CW Curaçao 1.68 2015 78
139 PL Poland 1.59 2015 77
140 YE Yemen 1.58 2015 76
141 LT Lithuania 1.54 2015 75
142 AO Angola 1.53 2015 74
143 MA Morocco 1.45 2015 73
144 CA Canada 1.44 2015 72
145 SI Slovenia 1.38 2015 71
146 BG Bulgaria 1.34 2015 70
147 PT Portugal 1.29 2015 69
148 DZ Algeria 1.25 2015 68
149 TG Togo 1.13 2015 67
150 UA Ukraine 1.07 2015 66
151 MX Mexico 1.05 2015 65
152 AR Argentina 1.03 2015 64
153 RU Russia 0.96 2015 63
154 CL Chile 0.96 2015 62
155 CG Republic of the Congo 0.94 2015 61
156 IR Iran 0.93 2015 60
157 SV El Salvador 0.87 2015 59
158 SG Singapore 0.66 2015 58
159 PE Peru 0.66 2015 57
160 SD Sudan 0.51 2015 56
161 PK Pakistan 0.45 2015 55
162 KE Kenya 0.41 2015 54
163 SY Syria 0.4 2015 53
164 TZ Tanzania 0.37 2015 52
165 RO Romania 0.33 2015 51
166 GT Guatemala 0.21 2015 50
167 PS Palestine 0.21 2015 49
168 ZA South Africa 0.2 2015 48
169 NA Namibia 0.19 2015 47
170 JO Jordan 0.05 2015 46
171 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.01 2015 45
172 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.01 2015 44
173 AF Afghanistan 0 2015 1
174 AD Andorra 0 2015 1
175 AM Armenia 0 2015 1
176 AT Austria 0 2015 1
177 AZ Azerbaijan 0 2015 1
178 BY Belarus 0 2015 1
179 BT Bhutan 0 2015 1
180 BO Bolivia 0 2015 1
181 BW Botswana 0 2015 1
182 BF Burkina Faso 0 2015 1
183 BI Burundi 0 2015 1
184 CF Central African Republic 0 2015 1
185 TD Chad 0 2015 1
186 CZ Czechia 0 2015 1
187 SZ Eswatini 0 2015 1
188 ET Ethiopia 0 2015 1
189 HU Hungary 0 2015 1
190 KZ Kazakhstan 0 2015 1
191 KG Kyrgyzstan 0 2015 1
192 LA Laos 0 2015 1
193 LS Lesotho 0 2015 1
194 LI Liechtenstein 0 2015 1
195 LU Luxembourg 0 2015 1
196 MW Malawi 0 2015 1
197 ML Mali 0 2015 1
198 MD Moldova 0 2015 1
199 MN Mongolia 0 2015 1
200 NP Nepal 0 2015 1
201 NE Niger 0 2015 1
202 MK North Macedonia 0 2015 1
203 PY Paraguay 0 2015 1
204 RW Rwanda 0 2015 1
205 SM San Marino 0 2015 1
206 RS Serbia 0 2015 1
207 SK Slovakia 0 2015 1
208 SS South Sudan 0 2015 1
209 CH Switzerland 0 2015 1
210 TJ Tajikistan 0 2015 1
211 TM Turkmenistan 0 2015 1
212 UG Uganda 0 2015 1
213 UZ Uzbekistan 0 2015 1
214 ZM Zambia 0 2015 1
215 ZW Zimbabwe 0 2015 1
Nothing found. Check the spelling of the name.
Maximum 78.48%
Median 2.95%
Minimum 0%
World 4.06%

About the indicator

The share of the population living less than five meters above sea level. The threshold is not arbitrary: this is the zone already threatened by storm surges and, over the coming century, by sea level rise. In absolute numbers the densely populated deltas of Asia come first; by share, island states and the Netherlands — and the latter show that a high share does not equal high risk, since everything depends on whether coastal defenses are in place.

Important: The series is not annual: the World Bank computes it from a digital elevation model for individual benchmark years, the latest of which is 2015, and has not updated it since. No one has fresher data of this kind; the values are best read as an order-of-magnitude estimate.

Updates
quarterly
Unit of measurement
% of population
Observation period
1990–2015
License
CC BY 4.0
Dataset
World Development Indicators

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