What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?

12.64 million hectares, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?

15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.

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.

Democratic Republic of Congo vs Zambia: Annual area burnt by wildfires

Democratic Republic of Congo

21.93 million hectares

in 2026

Zambia

9.30 million hectares

in 2026

Democratic Republic of Congo rank

1st

Zambia rank

4th

Annual area burnt by wildfires over time

Democratic Republic of Congo
Zambia

How they compare

Democratic Republic of Congo currently reports 21.93 million hectares against 9.30 million hectares in Zambia, a difference of 12.64 million hectares.

That makes Democratic Republic of Congo's figure about 2.4 times Zambia's.

Across all 15 years both countries report, Democratic Republic of Congo has been ahead every year.

Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 1st and Zambia ranks 4th of 248 countries.

Democratic Republic of Congo has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Democratic Republic of Congo	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
2010s	44.45 million hectares	22.33 million hectares	22.12 million hectares	Democratic Republic of Congo
2020s	37.76 million hectares	16.70 million hectares	21.06 million hectares	Democratic Republic of Congo

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher annual area burnt by wildfires, Democratic Republic of Congo or Zambia?: Democratic Republic of Congo, at 21.93 million hectares against 9.30 million hectares in Zambia as of 2026.
What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?: 12.64 million hectares, with Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?: 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia rank globally for annual area burnt by wildfires?: Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 1st and Zambia ranks 4th 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.

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Democratic Republic of Congo vs Zambia: Annual area burnt by wildfires. Statizoid, drawing on Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/annual-area-burnt-by-wildfires/congo-dem-rep/zambia/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/annual-area-burnt-by-wildfires/congo-dem-rep/zambia/">Democratic Republic of Congo vs Zambia: Annual area burnt by wildfires</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Annual area burnt by wildfires
Unit: hectares
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 248 places, 3,720 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.