According to the UNCCD definition, land degradation is defined as “the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rain fed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and woodlands resulting from a combination of pressures, including land use and management practices”. Total land area is the total surface area of a country less the area covered by inland waters, like major rivers and lakes. The indicator is expressed as percent.

Information on the proportion of land that is degraded over total land area has been regularly collected by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) through its national reporting and review process since 2018, and every four years thereafter.

The proportion of land that is degraded over total land area is also Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 15.3.1 corresponding to SDG target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world”. At its 10th meeting in October 2019, the Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDG indicators (IAEG-SDGs) upgraded SDG indicator 15.3.1 to Tier One.