Countries by Lowest Elevation
Complete ranking of 242 countries • m • Data refreshed May 5, 2026
Leader
Lesotho
Field size
242 countries
Lowest rank
Antarctica
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About Lowest Elevation Rankings
Lesotho leads all 242 countries in Lowest Elevation with a value of 1.4K m, while Antarctica ranks last at -3,500 m. The gap between top and bottom reflects meaningful global variation.
What Lowest Elevation Measures
Lowest national elevation point from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Why This Ranking Matters
Examining Lowest Elevation across all countries reveals patterns that might not be obvious at the national level. Regional clusters, outlier nations, and historical trajectories all become clearer when the full global picture is assembled in a single ranking.
Global Range
Values range from -3,500 m (Antarctica) to 1.4K m (Lesotho) — minimal difference across 242 countries.
Regional Patterns
African countries dominate this ranking, holding 12 of the top 20 positions. This strong regional concentration suggests shared economic, geographic, or policy factors that drive higher values across the continent.
The distribution is highly right-skewed — a few countries have exceptionally high values that pull the average well above the median. The median (0 m) is far more representative than the mean (16.58 m).
Notable Outliers
Lesotho holds a significant lead over Rwanda, with a 47% gap between first and second place. While several countries cluster near the top, the leader's margin is notable.
Continental Leaders
Highest Lowest Elevation
The 5 strongest Lowest Elevation reads.
Lowest Lowest Elevation
The 5 lowest Lowest Elevation reads.
Data Note
Rankings are based on the latest available data from CIA World Factbook (frozen snapshot), covering 242 of 249 countries and territories. Countries without data for this metric are excluded from the ranking. All values represent the most recently reported figures.
