China vs Laos: Annual area burnt by wildfires
China
2.27 million hectares
in 2026
Laos
2.64 million hectares
in 2026
China rank
16th
Laos rank
15th
Annual area burnt by wildfires over time
- China
- Laos
How they compare
Laos currently reports 2.64 million hectares against 2.27 million hectares in China, a difference of 372,430 hectares.
That makes Laos's figure about 1.2 times China's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was Laos ahead.
China ranks 16th and Laos ranks 15th of 248 countries.
Laos has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Laos | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.37 million hectares | 3.62 million hectares | 242,990 hectares | Laos |
| 2020s | 2.68 million hectares | 3.63 million hectares | 944,560 hectares | Laos |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual area burnt by wildfires, China or Laos?
- Laos, at 2.64 million hectares against 2.27 million hectares in China as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between China and Laos?
- 372,430 hectares, with Laos ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Laos?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do China and Laos rank globally for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- China ranks 16th and Laos ranks 15th of 248 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual area burnt by wildfires. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.