Australia vs Brazil: Tree cover loss from wildfires
Australia
139,861 hectares
in 2024
Brazil
2.18 million hectares
in 2024
Australia rank
6th
Brazil rank
3rd
Tree cover loss from wildfires over time
- Australia
- Brazil
How they compare
Brazil currently reports 2.18 million hectares against 139,861 hectares in Australia, a difference of 2.04 million hectares.
That makes Brazil's figure about 15.6 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and Brazil ranks 3rd of 152 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Brazil in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Brazil | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 153,319 hectares | 69,490 hectares | 83,829 hectares | Australia |
| 2010s | 307,201 hectares | 468,010 hectares | 160,809 hectares | Brazil |
| 2020s | 562,628 hectares | 901,760 hectares | 339,133 hectares | Brazil |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher tree cover loss from wildfires, Australia or Brazil?
- Brazil, at 2.18 million hectares against 139,861 hectares in Australia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in tree cover loss from wildfires between Australia and Brazil?
- 2.04 million hectares, with Brazil ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Brazil?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do Australia and Brazil rank globally for tree cover loss from wildfires?
- Australia ranks 6th and Brazil ranks 3rd of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Forest Watch (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Tree cover loss from wildfires. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Tree cover loss due to fire with no visible human conversion or agricultural activity afterward. Fires may be started by natural causes (e.g. lightning) or may be related to human activities (accidental or deliberate).