how much of earth is a deser
About 33% of Earth’s land surface is desert, or roughly one-third. If you mean the planet’s total surface , deserts are much less than that because most of Earth is ocean.
Quick note
People sometimes mix up land area and total surface area. The common figure for deserts is about one-third of land , not one-third of the whole planet.
Simple version
- Earth’s surface is mostly ocean.
- Of the land that remains, about 33% is desert.
- That includes hot deserts and cold polar deserts.
Extra context
Some sources also discuss drylands , which are broader than deserts and can cover a larger share of land. That’s why you may see different percentages depending on the definition being used.