Fact check: What are the top 5 hottest years on record globally?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, 2024 was definitively the warmest year on record globally according to multiple authoritative sources. NASA confirms that 2024 had an average surface temperature 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit (1.28 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century baseline ^[1]. NOAA's analysis corroborates this finding, showing 2024 was 2.32 degrees F (1.29 degrees C) above the 20th-century average ^[2]. Berkeley Earth also concluded that 2024 exceeded the previous record set in 2023 by a clear and definitive margin ^[3].

While the sources don't provide an explicit ranking of the top 5 hottest years, they consistently report that all of the 10 warmest years since 1850 have occurred in the past decade (2015-2024) ^{[4] [2] [3]}. The analyses indicate that 2023 previously held the record before being surpassed by 2024, with 2023 setting a record "by a large margin above the previous record set in 2016" ^[5]. This suggests that 2016 was likely the third-warmest year, though the complete top 5 ranking is not explicitly provided in the available data.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question seeks a specific ranking of the top 5 hottest years, but the analyses reveal important missing context about the broader temperature trend. The sources emphasize that this isn't just about individual record years, but rather a consistent pattern where "the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record" ^[6] and "the ten warmest years in the 175-year record have all occurred during the last decade" ^[4].

Additionally, one analysis provides crucial long-term historical perspective that wasn't requested in the original question: current global temperatures are higher than they have been for at least 75% of the last 11,300 years ^[7]. This context shows that recent warming extends far beyond just the instrumental record.

The analyses also highlight that the rate of temperature increase is accelerating, with the 2022 to 2023 increase being "the largest since at least 1880" ^[5], providing important context about the velocity of current climate change.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, as it's a straightforward factual inquiry. However, focusing solely on the "top 5" hottest years could potentially minimize the broader climate crisis by treating these as isolated events rather than part of a clear warming trend.

The question's framing might inadvertently support those who benefit from downplaying the systematic nature of global warming by encouraging a focus on individual years rather than the overwhelming pattern. Climate change denial organizations and fossil fuel interests often benefit when public discourse focuses on year-to-year variations rather than the clear decadal trend that all sources confirm.

The analyses consistently show that this isn't about a few exceptional years but rather a fundamental shift in Earth's climate system, with the entire past decade representing unprecedented warming in the 175-year instrumental record ^{[4] [2] [3]}.