32 | bhge 2018 form 10-k baker hughes rig count the baker hughes rig counts are an important business barometer for the drilling industry and its suppliers . when drilling rigs are active they consume products and services produced by the oil service industry . rig count trends are driven by the exploration and development spending by oil and natural gas companies , which in turn is influenced by current and future price expectations for oil and natural gas . the counts may reflect the relative strength and stability of energy prices and overall market activity , however , these counts should not be solely relied on as other specific and pervasive conditions may exist that affect overall energy prices and market activity . we have been providing rig counts to the public since 1944 . we gather all relevant data through our field service personnel , who obtain the necessary data from routine visits to the various rigs , customers , contractors and other outside sources as necessary . we base the classification of a well as either oil or natural gas primarily upon filings made by operators in the relevant jurisdiction . this data is then compiled and distributed to various wire services and trade associations and is published on our website . we believe the counting process and resulting data is reliable , however , it is subject to our ability to obtain accurate and timely information . rig counts are compiled weekly for the u.s . and canada and monthly for all international rigs . published international rig counts do not include rigs drilling in certain locations , such as russia , the caspian region and onshore china because this information is not readily available . rigs in the u.s . and canada are counted as active if , on the day the count is taken , the well being drilled has been started but drilling has not been completed and the well is anticipated to be of sufficient depth to be a potential consumer of our drill bits . in international areas , rigs are counted on a weekly basis and deemed active if drilling activities occurred during the majority of the week . the weekly results are then averaged for the month and published accordingly . the rig count does not include rigs that are in transit from one location to another , rigging up , being used in non-drilling activities including production testing , completion and workover , and are not expected to be significant consumers of drill bits . the rig counts are summarized in the table below as averages for each of the periods indicated. .
what portion of total rig count is in north america in 2017?
2018 compared to 2017 overall the rig count was 2211 in 2018 , an increase of 9% ( 9 % ) as compared to 2017 due primarily to north american activity . the rig count in north america increased 13% ( 13 % ) in 2018 compared to 2017 . internationally , the rig count increased 4% ( 4 % ) in 2018 as compared to the same period last year . within north america , the increase was primarily driven by the u.s . rig count , which was up 18% ( 18 % ) on average versus 2017 , partially offset with a decrease in the canadian rig count , which was down 8% ( 8 % ) on average . internationally , the improvement in the rig count was driven primarily by increases in the africa region of 18% ( 18 % ) , the asia-pacific region and latin america region , were also up by 9% ( 9 % ) and 3% ( 3 % ) , respectively , partially offset by the europe region , which was down 8% ( 8 % ) . 2017 compared to 2016 overall the rig count was 2030 in 2017 , an increase of 27% ( 27 % ) as compared to 2016 due primarily to north american activity . the rig count in north america increased 69% ( 69 % ) in 2017 compared to 2016 . internationally , the rig count decreased 1% ( 1 % ) in 2017 as compared to the same period last year . within north america , the increase was primarily driven by the land rig count , which was up 72% ( 72 % ) , partially offset by a decrease in the offshore rig count of 16% ( 16 % ) . internationally , the rig count decrease was driven primarily by decreases in latin america of 7% ( 7 % ) , the europe region and africa region , which were down by 4% ( 4 % ) and 2% ( 2 % ) , respectively , partially offset by the asia-pacific region , which was up 8%. .