New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: Annual area burnt by wildfires
New Zealand
17,103 hectares
in 2026
Sri Lanka
19,749 hectares
in 2026
New Zealand rank
101st
Sri Lanka rank
98th
Annual area burnt by wildfires over time
- New Zealand
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 19,749 hectares against 17,103 hectares in New Zealand, a difference of 2,646 hectares.
That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.2 times New Zealand's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
New Zealand ranks 101st and Sri Lanka ranks 98th of 248 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40,984 hectares | 56,131 hectares | 15,147 hectares | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 27,615 hectares | 24,159 hectares | 3,457 hectares | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual area burnt by wildfires, New Zealand or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 19,749 hectares against 17,103 hectares in New Zealand as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between New Zealand and Sri Lanka?
- 2,646 hectares, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Sri Lanka?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do New Zealand and Sri Lanka rank globally for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- New Zealand ranks 101st and Sri Lanka ranks 98th 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.