Countries With the Fastest Decline in Land area (5-Year Change)
Change in Land area over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that fell are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Tuvalu fell the most: by 13.3%, from 30 km² to 26 km² in the five years to 2024. Rwanda is second (−3.68%), followed by Canada (−1.97%). 35 countries fell over that period; the median change among them was −0.203%.
- #1
- Tuvalu · −13.3%
- Median
- −0.203%
- Coverage
- 35 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuvalu | 30 | 26 | −13.3% |
| 2 | Rwanda | 24,670 | 23,763 | −3.68% |
| 3 | Canada | 8,965,600 | 8,788,700 | −1.97% |
| 4 | Faroe Islands | 1,396 | 1,370 | −1.86% |
| 5 | Malta | 320 | 315.2 | −1.52% |
| 6 | Costa Rica | 51,060 | 50,560 | −0.979% |
| 7 | Armenia | 28,470 | 28,199 | −0.952% |
| 8 | Maldives | 300 | 298 | −0.667% |
| 9 | Northern Mariana Islands | 460 | 457 | −0.652% |
| 10 | Seychelles | 460 | 457 | −0.652% |
| 11 | Virgin Islands (US) | 350 | 348 | −0.571% |
| 12 | American Samoa | 200 | 199 | −0.5% |
| 13 | Uzbekistan | 440,560 | 438,510 | −0.465% |
| 14 | Andorra | 470 | 468 | −0.426% |
| 15 | Paraguay | 397,300 | 396,010 | −0.325% |
| 16 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 390 | 389 | −0.256% |
| 17 | Norway | 365,090 | 364,270 | −0.225% |
| 18 | Tanzania | 885,800 | 884,000 | −0.203% |
| 19 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 950 | 948.2 | −0.186% |
| 20 | Chile | 742,830 | 742,030 | −0.108% |
| 21 | Ethiopia | 1,122,900 | 1,122,100 | −0.071% |
| 22 | Czechia | 77,206 | 77,156 | −0.065% |
| 23 | Australia | 7,692,000 | 7,688,300 | −0.048% |
| 24 | Lithuania | 62,620 | 62,590 | −0.048% |
| 25 | Estonia | 42,750 | 42,730 | −0.047% |
| 26 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5,130 | 5,128 | −0.039% |
| 27 | Poland | 306,110 | 306,070 | −0.013% |
| 28 | Eritrea | 120,810 | 120,800 | −0.0083% |
| 29 | Vanuatu | 12,190 | 12,189 | −0.0082% |
| 30 | Croatia | 55,964 | 55,960 | −0.0071% |
| 31 | Sri Lanka | 61,864 | 61,860 | −0.0065% |
| 32 | Slovenia | 20,136 | 20,135 | −0.005% |
| 33 | Azerbaijan | 82,654 | 82,650 | −0.0048% |
| 34 | Myanmar | 652,700 | 652,670 | −0.0046% |
| 35 | Sweden | 407,280 | 407,270 | −0.0025% |
About the top 10
#1 Tuvalu
Tuvalu ranks #1 on this list with −13.3%.
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9,492 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.35 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,041 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in agricultural land share · #1 in health expenditure share of gdp · #1 in literacy rate.
#2 Rwanda
Rwanda ranks #2 on this list with −3.68%.
- Capital
- Kigali
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 30.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kigali.
Also ranks #1 in women in parliament share · #2 in school enrolment (primary) · #2 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary).
#3 Canada
Canada ranks #3 on this list with −1.97%.
- Capital
- Ottawa
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 41.65 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.32 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$55,698 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 82.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Toronto, Montreal, Calgary.
Also ranks #2 in surface area · #3 in forest area · #4 in land area.
#4 Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands ranks #4 on this list with −1.86%.
- Capital
- Tórshavn
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 54,900 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$4.05 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$74,175 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 39.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #9 in fertiliser consumption · #13 in gni per capita · #16 in gdp per capita.
#5 Malta
Malta ranks #5 on this list with −1.52%.
- Capital
- Valletta
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 579,700 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$47,907 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 95.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #4 in access to sanitation · #6 in trade share of gdp · #6 in irrigated land share.
#6 Costa Rica
Costa Rica ranks #6 on this list with −0.979%.
- Capital
- San José
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.15 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$102.9 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,970 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in immunisation (dpt) rate · #4 in fertiliser consumption · #8 in women in parliament share.
#7 Armenia
Armenia ranks #7 on this list with −0.952%.
- Capital
- Yerevan
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$29.24 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,474 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Yerevan.
Also ranks #5 in electricity access rate · #5 in access to electricity (rural) · #7 in female population share.
#8 Maldives
Maldives ranks #8 on this list with −0.667%.
- Capital
- Malé
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 529,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$7.74 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,615 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 42.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in male population share · #5 in population ages 15-64 share · #8 in population density.
#9 Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands ranks #9 on this list with −0.652%.
- Capital
- Saipan
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 43,541 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.1 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$23,786 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in gdp growth rate · #12 in male population share · #16 in protected marine area share.
#10 Seychelles
Seychelles ranks #10 on this list with −0.652%.
- Capital
- Victoria
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 122,730 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.39 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in protected terrestrial area share · #3 in physicians per 1,000 · #8 in male population share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Land area over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that fell are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator AG.LND.TOTL.K2. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Land area (sq. km): FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.