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Global precipitation over land from GPCC Precipitation Analysis Product

GPCC Monitoring Product
GPCC Monitoring Product global precipitation over land for January 2011. Copyright: UHH/CEN/AJB

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Access

UNRESTRICTED:

RESTRICTED: This link to the data set is only available for a restricted user group.  The data set is only accessible in CEN/MPI net or accessible from external nets with a customer account.  Please contact ICDC if you would like to access this data from outside the network.

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Description

The Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) is operated by the German Weather Service (DWD) under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization. It's mission is to collect global in-situ precipitation data to produce quantitative global precipitation analyses and water balance studies.

GPCC has released the GPCC Precipitation Analysis Monthly Version 2025 product. It is the successor product of the Full Data Monthly Product Version 2022 and the Monitoring Product. 

The GPCC Precipitation Analysis Product is suitable for all applications, that need gridded, monthly near-realtime data of high quality, such as comparisons with current satellite data. Further information on this data set can be found in the references.

Last update of data set at ICDC: March 26, 2026

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Parameters

Main parameters of the GPCC data set
NameUnit
Sum of precipitation mm/Month
Number of gauges per grid Number
Proportion of solid precipitation %
Proportion of liquid precipitation %
Absolute systematic gauge error mm/Month
Relative systematic gauge error %
Systematic gauge error correction factor Factor 1 to 3

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Coverage, spatial and temporal resolution

Period and temporal resolution:

  • 01/1891 to 12/2025
  • Monthly

Coverage and spatial resolution:

  • Global, over land
  • Spatial resolution: 0.25° x 0.25° and 1° x 1°, cartesian grid
  • Geographic longitude: 0°E to 360°E
  • Geographic latitude: -90°N to 90°N
  • Dimension: 1440 columns x 720 columns and 360 columns x 180 rows
  • Altitude: following terrain

Format:

  • NetCDF

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Data quality

See "GPCC_Precipitation_Analysis_Product_Version_2025" under references.

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Contact

Dr. Markus Ziese, Head
Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC)
c/o Deutscher Wetterdienst
Postfach 10 04 65
D-63004 Offenbach/Main
GERMANY
e-mail: gpcc@dwd.de

Tel.: + 49 (0)69 / 8062-2973

Stefan Kern
ICDC / Department of Earth System Sciences / University of Hamburg
E-Mail: stefan.kern (at) uni-hamburg.de

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References

Websites:

Literature:

  • U. Schneider, P. Finger, A. Meyer-Christoffer, E. Rustemeier, M. Ziese, and A. Becker, 2017: “Evaluating the hydrological cycle over land using the newly-corrected precipitation climatology from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC)”, Atmosphere, 8(3), 52, DOI:10.3390/atmos8030052; http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/8/3/52 

  • A. Becker, P. Finger, A. Meyer-Christoffer, B. Rudolf, K. Schamm, U. Schneider, and M. Ziese, 2013: “A description of the global land-surface precipitation data products of the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre with sample applications including centennial (trend) analysis from 1901-present”, Earth System Science Data, DOI: 10.5194/essd-5-71-2013; http://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/5/71/2013/essd-5-71-2013.html 
  • U. Schneider, A. Becker, P. Finger, A. Meyer-Christoffer, M. Ziese, and B. Rudolf, 2014: “GPCC's new land-surface precipitation climatology based on quality-controlled in-situ data and its role in quantifying the global water cycle”, Theor. Appl. Climatology, 115, 15-40, DOI: 10.1007/s00704-013-0860-x; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00704-013-0860-x 
  • Current description of GPCC's products, https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/GPCC/PDF/GPCC_intro_products_lastversion.pdf 

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Data citation

Please cite the data as follows:

For 0.25° grid resolution:
Rustemeier, Elke; Finger, Peter; Schirmeister, Zora; Ziese, Markus (2025): GPCC Precipitation Analysis Monthly Version 2025 at 0.25°: Monthly Land-Surface Precipitation Analysis for every Month from Rain-Gauges built on GTS-based and Historical Data. https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD_GPCC/MONTHLY_V2025_025  [last access March 17 2026]

For 1.0° grid resolution:
Rustemeier, Elke; Finger, Peter; Schirmeister, Zora; Ziese, Markus (2025): GPCC Precipitation Analysis Monthly Version 2025 at 1.0°: Monthly Land-Surface Precipitation Analysis for every Month from Rain-Gauges built on GTS-based and Historical Data. https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD_GPCC/MONTHLY_V2025_100  [last access March 17 2026]

Licence

Creative Commons licence conditions CC BY 4.0

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