El Niño–Southern Oscillation year classification
(used in 'Australia's Variable Rainfall' poster 1890 to 2023)
The following list is a classification of years in terms of 'El Niño', 'Neutral' and 'La Niña' based on the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) used in the poster 'Australia's Variable Rainfall, 1890 to 2023 (PDF, 7.0MB)'. In this analysis the historical years have been classified using the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABOM) SOI for June to November (after Allan et al. 1996) please see the classification documentation for more detail. Please note classification of ENSO years on previous posters differs from that described on the current poster (1890 to 2023).
El Niño = SOI ≤ -5.5
Neutral = -5.5 > SOI < +5.5
La Niña = SOI ≥ +5.5
| Year | Classification | ABoM June–November average SOI |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | La Niña | 13.27 |
| 2021 | La Niña | 8.6 |
| 2020 | *La Niña | 4.72 * see documentation |
| 2019 | El Niño | -7.95 |
| 2018 | Neutral | -2.98 |
| 2017 | *La Niña | 4.8 * see documentation |
| 2016 | Neutral | 3.97 |
| 2015 | El Niño | -14.97 |
| 2014 | El Niño | -6.92 |
| 2013 | Neutral | 5.45 |
| 2012 | Neutral | -1.35 |
| 2011 | La Niña | 7.63 |
| 2010 | La Niña | 16.78 |
| 2009 | *El Niño | -3.87 * see documentation |
| 2008 | La Niña | 10.15 |
| 2007 | *La Niña | 3.35 * see documentation |
| 2006 | El Niño | -8.68 |
| 2005 | Neutral | 1.45 |
| 2004 | El Niño | -7.45 |
| 2003 | Neutral | -3.07 |
| 2002 | El Niño | -8.25 |
| 2001 | Neutral | -0.57 |
| 2000 | La Niña | 6.35 |
| 1999 | Neutral | 4.95 |
| 1998 | La Niña | 11.47 |
| 1997 | El Niño | -16.87 |
| 1996 | La Niña | 6.05 |
| 1995 | Neutral | 1.12 |
| 1994 | El Niño | -14.03 |
| 1993 | El Niño | -10.22 |
| 1992 | El Niño | -7 |
| 1991 | El Niño | -8.6 |
| 1990 | Neutral | -1.6 |
| 1989 | Neutral | 3.58 |
| 1988 | La Niña | 13 |
| 1987 | El Niño | -11.82 |
| 1986 | Neutral | -1.28 |
| 1985 | Neutral | -1.7 |
| 1984 | Neutral | -0.48 |
| 1983 | Neutral | 0.47 |
| 1982 | El Niño | -22.62 |
| 1981 | Neutral | 5.32 |
| 1980 | Neutral | -2.58 |
| 1979 | Neutral | -2.2 |
| 1978 | Neutral | 0.98 |
| 1977 | El Niño | -13.57 |
| 1976 | Neutral | -4.15 |
| 1975 | La Niña | 18.55 |
| 1974 | La Niña | 6.77 |
| 1973 | La Niña | 14.25 |
| 1972 | El Niño | -11.47 |
| 1971 | La Niña | 9.98 |
| 1970 | La Niña | 8.53 |
| 1969 | El Niño | -5.72 |
| 1968 | Neutral | 1.95 |
| 1967 | Neutral | 2.52 |
| 1966 | Neutral | -0.13 |
| 1965 | El Niño | -15 |
| 1964 | La Niña | 9.67 |
| 1963 | El Niño | -6.73 |
| 1962 | Neutral | 4.97 |
| 1961 | Neutral | 0.37 |
| 1960 | Neutral | 3.75 |
| 1959 | Neutral | -0.13 |
| 1958 | Neutral | 0.03 |
| 1957 | El Niño | -5.78 |
| 1956 | La Niña | 9.38 |
| 1955 | La Niña | 15.82 |
| 1954 | Neutral | 3.88 |
| 1953 | El Niño | -5.93 |
| 1952 | Neutral | 0.82 |
| 1951 | *El Niño | -3.68 * see documentation |
| 1950 | La Niña | 16.13 |
| 1949 | Neutral | -2.78 |
| 1948 | Neutral | -0.85 |
| 1947 | La Niña | 6.37 |
| 1946 | El Niño | -8.98 |
| 1945 | Neutral | 5.2 |
| 1944 | Neutral | -3.7 |
| 1943 | Neutral | 3.58 |
| 1942 | Neutral | 4.08 |
| 1941 | El Niño | -15.3 |
| 1940 | El Niño | -16.32 |
| 1939 | Neutral | -4.33 |
| 1938 | La Niña | 11.95 |
| 1937 | Neutral | -0.43 |
| 1936 | Neutral | -2.93 |
| 1935 | Neutral | 2.82 |
| 1934 | Neutral | 0.35 |
| 1933 | Neutral | 1.98 |
| 1932 | El Niño | -5.73 |
| 1931 | Neutral | 2.63 |
| 1930 | Neutral | -2.18 |
| 1929 | Neutral | 3.55 |
| 1928 | Neutral | 3.55 |
| 1927 | Neutral | -0.55 |
| 1926 | Neutral | -1.47 |
| 1925 | El Niño | -9.58 |
| 1924 | La Niña | 8.98 |
| 1923 | El Niño | -10.43 |
| 1922 | Neutral | 4.42 |
| 1921 | La Niña | 6.88 |
| 1920 | Neutral | 3.67 |
| 1919 | El Niño | -8.97 |
| 1918 | El Niño | -5.85 |
| 1917 | La Niña | 25.03 |
| 1916 | La Niña | 11.9 |
| 1915 | Neutral | 3.85 |
| 1914 | El Niño | -14.15 |
| 1913 | El Niño | -7.28 |
| 1912 | Neutral | -3.95 |
| 1911 | El Niño | -10.78 |
| 1910 | La Niña | 16.27 |
| 1909 | La Niña | 9.58 |
| 1908 | La Niña | 5.57 |
| 1907 | Neutral | -0.9 |
| 1906 | La Niña | 11.25 |
| 1905 | El Niño | -15.13 |
| 1904 | Neutral | -5.17 |
| 1903 | Neutral | 3.3 |
| 1902 | El Niño | -5.55 |
| 1901 | Neutral | -0.45 |
| 1900 | Neutral | 0.68 |
| 1899 | Neutral | -0.97 |
| 1898 | Neutral | 0.95 |
| 1897 | Neutral | -1.22 |
| 1896 | El Niño | -20.58 |
| 1895 | Neutral | -4.93 |
| 1894 | Neutral | -0.35 |
| 1893 | La Niña | 8.12 |
| 1892 | La Niña | 7.83 |
| 1891 | Neutral | -5.23 |
| 1890 | Neutral | 2.65 |
Last updated: 6 September 2023
