4.75M km²
2025 (latest)
ARCTIC SEPTEMBER SEA ICE EXTENT
million km² · 1979–2025 · neither direction is "better" · NSIDC Sea Ice Index
7.05M km²
1979
7.67M km²
high · 1980
3.57M km²
low · 2012
−33%
since 1979
┊ dashed lines mark 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. Published September monthly mean extent, million square kilometers; extent column, not area. Source dataset version switched in 2025; the v4.0 file is used throughout. Breaks: Source dataset version switched in 2025; the v4.0 file is used throughout.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://noaadata.apps.nsidc.org/NOAA/G02135/north/monthly/data/N_09_extent_v4.0.csv
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Energy-And-Environment
Data
| Year | Arctic September sea ice extent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.75M km² | +9% |
| 2024 | 4.35M km² | −1% |
| 2023 | 4.38M km² | −11% |
| 2022 | 4.90M km² | −1% |
| 2021 | 4.95M km² | +24% |
| 2020 | 4.00M km² | −8% |
| 2019 | 4.36M km² | −9% |
| 2018 | 4.79M km² | −1% |
| 2017 | 4.82M km² | +6% |
| 2016 | 4.53M km² | −2% |
| 2015 | 4.62M km² | −11% |
| 2014 | 5.22M km² | +0% |
| 2013 | 5.21M km² | +46% |
| 2012 | 3.57M km² | −22% |
| 2011 | 4.56M km² | −6% |
| 2010 | 4.87M km² | −7% |
| 2009 | 5.26M km² | +12% |
| 2008 | 4.69M km² | +10% |
| 2007 | 4.27M km² | −27% |
| 2006 | 5.86M km² | +7% |
| 2005 | 5.50M km² | −8% |
| 2004 | 5.98M km² | −2% |
| 2003 | 6.12M km² | +5% |
| 2002 | 5.83M km² | −13% |
| 2001 | 6.73M km² | +8% |
| 2000 | 6.25M km² | +2% |
| 1999 | 6.12M km² | −6% |
| 1998 | 6.54M km² | −2% |
| 1997 | 6.69M km² | −12% |
| 1996 | 7.58M km² | +25% |
| 1995 | 6.08M km² | −15% |
| 1994 | 7.14M km² | +12% |
| 1993 | 6.40M km² | −14% |
| 1992 | 7.47M km² | +15% |
| 1991 | 6.47M km² | +5% |
| 1990 | 6.14M km² | −12% |
| 1989 | 7.01M km² | −5% |
| 1988 | 7.37M km² | +1% |
| 1987 | 7.28M km² | −2% |
| 1986 | 7.41M km² | +11% |
| 1985 | 6.70M km² | −2% |
| 1984 | 6.81M km² | −8% |
| 1983 | 7.39M km² | +1% |
| 1982 | 7.30M km² | +2% |
| 1981 | 7.14M km² | −7% |
| 1980 | 7.67M km² | +9% |
| 1979 | 7.05M km² | — |
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