Laos vs South Africa: Annual number of wildfires
Laos
6,492 wildfires
in 2026
South Africa
5,340 wildfires
in 2026
Laos rank
20th
South Africa rank
22nd
Annual number of wildfires over time
- Laos
- South Africa
How they compare
Laos currently reports 6,492 wildfires against 5,340 wildfires in South Africa, a difference of 1,152 wildfires.
That makes Laos's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2012 it was South Africa ahead.
Laos ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 248 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Laos | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8,768 wildfires | 11,395 wildfires | 2,626 wildfires | South Africa |
| 2020s | 9,267 wildfires | 10,091 wildfires | 824.71 wildfires | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual number of wildfires, Laos or South Africa?
- Laos, at 6,492 wildfires against 5,340 wildfires in South Africa as of 2026.
- What is the difference in annual number of wildfires between Laos and South Africa?
- 1,152 wildfires, with Laos ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Laos and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2012 to 2026.
- How do Laos and South Africa rank globally for annual number of wildfires?
- Laos ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 22nd 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 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.