From nsidc.org

Table 1. Ten lowest maximum Arctic sea ice extents (satellite record, 1979 to present). 2015 and 2016 are a tie.

Rank Year km^2×10^6 mi^2×10^6 Date

1 2017 14.42 5.57 March 7
2 2018 14.48 5.59 March 17
3 2015 14.52 5.61 February 25
3 2016 14.52 5.61 March 24
4 2011 14.67 5.66 March 9
5 2006 14.68 5.67 March 12
6 2007 14.77 5.70 March 12
7 2005 14.95 5.77 March 12
8 2014 14.96 5.78 March 21
9 2009 15.17 5.84 March 5

The 10 lowest winter ice maxima have all occurred in the last 14 years. None of these numbers means much by itself, but taken collectively, they tell us the 21st century has shown a remarkable, consistent and sudden ice loss.

Remember, these are winter maxima. The lowest summer minimum (2012,
3.7 x 10^6 km^2) does not even appear on this list. Extremely low winter maxima do not necessarily correlate with extremely low summer minima. But still, the general drop in Arctic sea ice cover observed since we began taking satellite measurements in 1979 has clearly accelerated in the new century.