In November 2024, global sea ice reached an extent of 23.3 million square kilometers. In 1980, the same month, the sea ice extent was 27.51 million square kilometers. As one of the polar climate system's critical components, sea ice extent has decreased over time due to global warming.
Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025
(in million square kilometers)
Characteristic
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Dec
23.75
24.4
23.06
23.54
22.55
21.91
23.1
22.7
22.3
21.39
20.61
20.67
20.91
-
Nov
27.51
27.16
26.55
26.39
26.08
26.54
26.36
26.03
25.22
24.87
24.77
23.93
23.3
-
Oct
27.75
26.75
26.43
25.86
26.51
25.83
25.63
25.38
23.82
24.51
24.02
22.57
22.49
-
Sep
26.49
25.4
24.33
24.45
25.14
24.3
23.67
23.06
22.84
23.46
22.88
21.17
21.44
-
Aug
25.79
25.03
24.37
24.52
25.38
24.22
24.48
23.35
22.83
23.9
22.96
21.07
21.55
-
Jul
25.66
25.46
24.82
24.73
25.61
24.81
24.99
25.16
23.01
24.1
23.15
21.67
22
-
Jun
24.69
25.65
24.72
24.73
25.56
24.45
25
25.35
23.86
24.31
22.99
21.98
22.66
-
May
22.65
24.22
22.95
23.39
24.07
23.2
23.51
24.19
22.21
23.08
22.2
21.19
20.05
-
Apr
20.83
21.85
21.65
21.72
21.69
21.12
21.38
22.26
20.37
20.92
19.9
19.48
20.31
-
Mar
19.33
19.61
19.84
19.89
19.31
18.77
18.99
19.33
18.76
19.09
17.41
17.24
18.05
-
Feb
18.78
18.31
18.62
18.79
18.05
17.34
17.69
18.2
17.56
17.28
16.77
16.09
16.75
15.96
Jan
19.42
19.18
19.65
20.23
18.97
18.41
18.7
20.45
18.24
18.28
17.74
16.58
17.88
17.85
1517.52022.52527.530
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (March 28, 2025). Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in million square kilometers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in million square kilometers)." Chart. March 28, 2025. Statista. Accessed April 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2025). Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in million square kilometers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Average Monthly Global Sea Ice Extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in Million Square Kilometers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Mar 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in million square kilometers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/ (last visited April 28, 2025)
Average monthly global sea ice extent from January 1980 to February 2025 (in million square kilometers) [Graph], National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, March 28, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296923/global-sea-ice-extent/
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