Nigeria vs Zambia: Annual area burnt by wildfires
Nigeria
2.81 million hectares
in 2026
Zambia
4.02 million hectares
in 2026
Nigeria rank
12th
Zambia rank
9th
Annual area burnt by wildfires over time
- Nigeria
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 4.02 million hectares against 2.81 million hectares in Nigeria, a difference of 1.21 million hectares.
That makes Zambia's figure about 1.4 times Nigeria's.
Across all 15 years both countries report, Zambia has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 12th and Zambia ranks 9th of 248 countries.
Zambia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.84 million hectares | 22.33 million hectares | 16.49 million hectares | Zambia |
| 2020s | 5.86 million hectares | 15.94 million hectares | 10.08 million hectares | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual area burnt by wildfires, Nigeria or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 4.02 million hectares against 2.81 million hectares in Nigeria as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual area burnt by wildfires between Nigeria and Zambia?
- 1.21 million hectares, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Zambia?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do Nigeria and Zambia rank globally for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Nigeria ranks 12th and Zambia ranks 9th 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.