Australia vs Canada: Wildfire area burned by land cover type
Australia
14,189 hectares
in 2025
Canada
51,776 hectares
in 2025
Australia rank
5th
Canada rank
2nd
Wildfire area burned by land cover type over time
- Australia
- Canada
How they compare
Canada currently reports 51,776 hectares against 14,189 hectares in Australia, a difference of 37,587 hectares.
That makes Canada's figure about 3.6 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2002 it was Canada ahead.
Australia ranks 5th and Canada ranks 2nd of 225 countries.
Canada has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Canada | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15,265 hectares | 30,318 hectares | 15,053 hectares | Canada |
| 2010s | 18,149 hectares | 44,014 hectares | 25,864 hectares | Canada |
| 2020s | 15,309 hectares | 62,623 hectares | 47,314 hectares | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher wildfire area burned by land cover type, Australia or Canada?
- Canada, at 51,776 hectares against 14,189 hectares in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in wildfire area burned by land cover type between Australia and Canada?
- 37,587 hectares, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Canada?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2025.
- How do Australia and Canada rank globally for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Australia ranks 5th and Canada ranks 2nd of 225 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Wildfire Information System (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Wildfire area burned by land cover type. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Area of other land types burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes wetlands, urban areas, snow and ice, bare ground, and water bodies.