China vs United States: Annual number of wildfires
China
7,671 wildfires
in 2026
United States
6,880 wildfires
in 2026
China rank
17th
United States rank
19th
Annual number of wildfires over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 7,671 wildfires against 6,880 wildfires in United States, a difference of 791 wildfires.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 17th and United States ranks 19th of 248 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13,371 wildfires | 15,084 wildfires | 1,714 wildfires | United States |
| 2020s | 9,330 wildfires | 12,169 wildfires | 2,840 wildfires | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual number of wildfires, China or United States?
- China, at 7,671 wildfires against 6,880 wildfires in United States as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual number of wildfires between China and United States?
- 791 wildfires, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do China and United States rank globally for annual number of wildfires?
- China ranks 17th and United States ranks 19th 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 number of wildfires. 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 18 September 2026.