Ethiopia vs South Africa: Annual number of wildfires
Ethiopia
5,285 wildfires
in 2026
South Africa
5,340 wildfires
in 2026
Ethiopia rank
23rd
South Africa rank
22nd
Annual number of wildfires over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 5,340 wildfires against 5,285 wildfires in Ethiopia, a difference of 55 wildfires.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 22nd of 248 countries.
Ethiopia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14,431 wildfires | 11,395 wildfires | 3,036 wildfires | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 10,976 wildfires | 10,091 wildfires | 884.71 wildfires | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual number of wildfires, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 5,340 wildfires against 5,285 wildfires in Ethiopia as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual number of wildfires between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 55 wildfires, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for annual number of wildfires?
- Ethiopia ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 22nd 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.