How much of Earth's ice-free land surface is dryland?

Slightly less than half of Earth’s ice-free land surface is classified as drylands. This area encompasses approximately 52 million square kilometers (about 20 million square miles).1

These regions, which include arid and semiarid lands, are characterized by sparse or variable rainfall and are home to some of the world’s poorest countries. Because these ecosystems are inherently sensitive to climatic variations and human activity, they are particularly vulnerable to desertification—a process that reduces their biological productivity through factors such as overgrazing, unsustainable irrigation, and climate change. Protecting these lands is a critical environmental and ethical imperative, as the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people depend on their continued health and productivity.123