Australia vs United States: Tree cover loss from wildfires
Australia
139,861 hectares
in 2024
United States
530,978 hectares
in 2024
Australia rank
6th
United States rank
5th
Tree cover loss from wildfires over time
- Australia
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 530,978 hectares against 139,861 hectares in Australia, a difference of 391,117 hectares.
That makes United States's figure about 3.8 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2001 it was United States ahead.
Australia ranks 6th and United States ranks 5th of 152 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 153,319 hectares | 597,469 hectares | 444,150 hectares | United States |
| 2010s | 307,201 hectares | 527,084 hectares | 219,883 hectares | United States |
| 2020s | 562,628 hectares | 672,159 hectares | 109,532 hectares | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher tree cover loss from wildfires, Australia or United States?
- United States, at 530,978 hectares against 139,861 hectares in Australia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in tree cover loss from wildfires between Australia and United States?
- 391,117 hectares, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and United States?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do Australia and United States rank globally for tree cover loss from wildfires?
- Australia ranks 6th and United States ranks 5th of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Forest Watch (2025) – 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).