2026-05-14 · percent of wetland area since 1700
Half of wetlands disappeared
Marshes and swamps were drained for farms and cities. Loss accelerated since 1700.
Marshes and swamps were drained for farms and cities. Loss accelerated since 1700. This grid divides wetland extent (2026 snapshot) into colored bands — Drained or converted and Still wetland — using equal squares so you compare shares, not country size on a map.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of wetland area since 1700 (0.1% of wetland extent) · 1,000 cells
Context
The 2026 figures from OWID — Wetlands put Drained or converted at 50% of wetland extent and Still wetland at 50%.
Davidson / Ramsar: ~50% wetland loss since 1700.
Share and export
Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-05-14-wetland-loss