Indonesia vs South Africa: Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires
Indonesia
9,015 wildfires
in 2026
South Africa
4,592 wildfires
in 2026
Indonesia rank
13th
South Africa rank
23rd
Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires over time
- Indonesia
- South Africa
How they compare
Indonesia currently reports 9,015 wildfires against 4,592 wildfires in South Africa, a difference of 4,423 wildfires.
That makes Indonesia's figure about 2.0 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was Indonesia ahead.
Indonesia ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 248 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Indonesia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Indonesia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22,352 wildfires | 11,395 wildfires | 10,957 wildfires | Indonesia |
| 2020s | 7,013 wildfires | 9,984 wildfires | 2,971 wildfires | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires, Indonesia or South Africa?
- Indonesia, at 9,015 wildfires against 4,592 wildfires in South Africa as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires between Indonesia and South Africa?
- 4,423 wildfires, with Indonesia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Indonesia and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do Indonesia and South Africa rank globally for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires?
- Indonesia ranks 13th and South Africa ranks 23rd 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 per wildfire vs. number of fires. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of wildfires. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 28 August 2026.