Arctic sea ice extent has been consistently declining over the years. The record-low summer minimum extent was set in 2012, with the second-lowest in 2020, both dipping below 4.0 million square kilometers. From 1979 to 2023, the minimum extent has decreased by 12.5 percent per decade relative to the 1981-2010 average, with the past 17 years being the lowest in the 45-year record.