This graph shows the change in global surface temperature compared to the long-term average from 1951 to 1980. Nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with the exception of 1998. The year 2020 tied with 2016 for the hottest year on record since recordkeeping began in 1880 (source: NASA/GISS). NASA’s analyses generally match independent analyses prepared by the Climatic Research Unit and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The animation on the right shows the change in global surface temperatures. Dark blue shows areas cooler than average. Dark red shows areas warmer than average. Short-term variations are smoothed out using a 5-year running average to make trends more visible in this map.

The “Global Temperature” figure on the home page dashboard shows global temperature change since 1880, compared to NASA’s 1951-1980 baseline.

The data shown are the latest available, updated annually.