Democratic Republic of Congo vs Zambia: Wildfire area burned by land cover type
Democratic Republic of Congo
39,841 hectares
in 2025
Zambia
129,868 hectares
in 2025
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
3rd
Zambia rank
1st
Wildfire area burned by land cover type over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 129,868 hectares against 39,841 hectares in Democratic Republic of Congo, a difference of 90,027 hectares.
That makes Zambia's figure about 3.3 times Democratic Republic of Congo's.
The two have swapped places 14 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2002 it was Zambia ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd and Zambia ranks 1st of 225 countries.
Zambia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33,817 hectares | 45,964 hectares | 12,147 hectares | Zambia |
| 2010s | 39,759 hectares | 58,598 hectares | 18,838 hectares | Zambia |
| 2020s | 39,869 hectares | 59,214 hectares | 19,344 hectares | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher wildfire area burned by land cover type, Democratic Republic of Congo or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 129,868 hectares against 39,841 hectares in Democratic Republic of Congo as of 2025.
- What is the difference in wildfire area burned by land cover type between Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?
- 90,027 hectares, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2025.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia rank globally for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd and Zambia ranks 1st 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.