evidence: On regional scales, the majority of 177 tide-gauge records (80%) have positive accelerations over 1970–2018, with their weighted-mean value (0.063 ± 0.120 mm yr−2) also lying between the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 projections, as for the GMSL acceleration. However, because of the short period available for comparison, the regional accelerations that are not yet statistically different to the projections for any of the scenarios. The AR5_lp projections indicate a significant regional weighted-mean accelerations (e.g. 0.053 ± 0.019 mm yr−2 under RCP4.5), which highlights the importance of identifying and possibly removing the natural variability in detecting any anthropogenic acceleration in sea-level rise. The earlier detection of a significant increase in the rate of sea-level rise is important in informing the public and supporting direct adequate mitigation and adaptation responses. With the long timescale of ocean thermal expansion and ice-sheet contributions, the agreement between the observed and projected accelerations do not bode well for sea-level impacts over coming decades.