Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Global sea levels are rising faster than at any previous time in recorded history, largely due to human-induced climate change. Between 2014 and 2023, sea levels rose by an average of 4.7 millimeters annually, increasing to a record 5.9 millimeters in 2024, according to the United Nations.
The main contributors to this rise are melting glaciers and ice sheets, as well as thermal expansion of oceans, which absorb about 91 percent of the planet’s excess heat. Projections indicate sea levels may rise up to 0.55 meters by 2100 under optimistic scenarios and exceed one meter, with a small chance of nearly two meters, under severe scenarios by century’s end.
Roughly 770 million people worldwide live less than five meters above the high tide line, making them vulnerable to flooding, salinization of freshwater wells and farmland, damage to infrastructure, and increased exposure to waterborne diseases. These impacts also cause psychological stress and disrupt livelihoods dependent on fisheries and tourism.
By 2050, up to 1.2 billion people could be forced to relocate due to rising sea levels, with some regions facing underestimated risks potentially affecting tens of millions more. In addition to physical consequences, rising sea levels threaten cultural heritage and the economic development of many countries.