Published analyses of HALOE water vapor data have shown an increase in stratospheric water vapor. Here the latest version of the data has been analyzed for trends from Jan 1992 to April 1999. This shows an increase in stratospheric water vapor over this period although in the past few years the magnitude of the trend appears to have decreased. A seasonal analysis suggests that large increases in upper tropospheric water vapor in autumn are the source for the stratospheric increases. An analysis of trends in the seasonal amplitude supports this. It is suggested that an increase in the extremity of the Asian monsoon over Indonesia could be responsible. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union