India vs United States: Annual area burnt by wildfires
India
4.04 million hectares
in 2026
United States
3.24 million hectares
in 2026
India rank
12th
United States rank
14th
Annual area burnt by wildfires over time
- India
- United States
How they compare
India currently reports 4.04 million hectares against 3.24 million hectares in United States, a difference of 799,060 hectares.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was India ahead.
India ranks 12th and United States ranks 14th of 248 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.72 million hectares | 5.63 million hectares | 1.09 million hectares | India |
| 2020s | 6.05 million hectares | 4.99 million hectares | 1.06 million hectares | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual area burnt by wildfires, India or United States?
- India, at 4.04 million hectares against 3.24 million hectares in United States as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between India and United States?
- 799,060 hectares, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and United States?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do India and United States rank globally for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- India ranks 12th and United States ranks 14th of 248 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) β 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 18 September 2026.