Driest countries
Egypt averages just 51mm of annual rainfall — most of which falls along the Mediterranean coast.
Headline finding
Egypt leads the world for driest countries at 51 mm/year (national average).
The full top 25: Driest countries
Click any country to read its full profile.
- 1 Egypt 51
- 2 Libya 56
- 3 Saudi Arabia 59
- 4 Qatar 74
- 5 UAE 78
- 6 Mauritania 92
- 7 Jordan 111
- 8 Oman 125
- 9 Yemen 167
- 10 Namibia 285
- 11 Botswana 416
- 12 Djibouti 220
- 13 Mali 282
- 14 Sudan 250
- 15 Niger 151
- 16 Kuwait 121
- 17 Bahrain 83
- 18 Tunisia 207
- 19 Algeria 89
- 20 Iraq 216
- 21 Syria 252
- 22 Chile 1,522 (excl. Atacama)
- 23 Peru 1,738 (varies enormously)
- 24 Turkmenistan 161
- 25 Uzbekistan 206
What the numbers show
Egypt's lead at the top of this ranking is -8.9% above the second-place country — a margin tight enough that the top spot has changed hands within the last five years and could change again.
The five countries leading the table — Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE — together set the global benchmark. The next 20 countries fill the rest of the table, with Uzbekistan anchoring the list at 206.
Figures are drawn from World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal. We use this source because it produces a single, internally consistent dataset rather than aggregating from national statistics offices, which makes year-on-year comparison reliable. The next update is expected when the source publishes its next annual release — see the methodology section below for which year of data is currently shown.
Methodology and caveats
- What this measures
- mm/year (national average)
- Source
- World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal
- Coverage
- Top 25 countries shown. Full source dataset covers all 195 sovereign states where data is available.
- Refresh cadence
- Updated annually as the source publishes new figures, typically autumn or spring.
- Known caveat
- Country definitions follow the source: where the UN, the World Bank and the CIA Factbook disagree on borders or recognition, we use the figure as published rather than reconciling between bodies. Comparisons across rankings should be made with this in mind.
Frequently asked
Which country tops the ranking for driest countries?
Egypt leads with 51 mm/year (national average). Libya is second at 56, with Saudi Arabia in third place. Full top-10 with sources is above.
What's the source for the driest countries ranking?
The figures come from World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal. We use this source because it publishes a complete country-by-country dataset using consistent methodology — the alternative of mixing national statistics offices would compromise comparability. Updated annually with the latest available vintage of the data.
How often are the driest countries figures updated?
Once a year, in line with the source institution's publishing schedule. Major institutions like the World Bank, IMF and UNESCO publish annual updates in different months — typically autumn or spring — and the figures here reflect the most recently published vintage. The source footer on the ranking table shows which year's data is currently displayed.