Earth's ozone hole was surprisingly small in 2025

The Antarctic ozone hole in 2025 was among the smallest in decades, ranking fourth or fifth least severe since 1992, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This marks the second consecutive year with below-average depth and extent. The recovery follows the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which phased out ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. The ozone layer is expected to fully recover within several decades.

Since 2000, the ozone layer has been recovering, and we can expect full recovery within several decades.