Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana
Botswana: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 2.59 million hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 2.59 million hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.2% on the previous year and up 38.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana peaked at 16.52 million hectares in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.18 million hectares, in 2019.
Botswana ranks 26th of 225 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 8.17 million hectares | — |
| 2003 | 1.40 million hectares | -82.9% |
| 2004 | 1.79 million hectares | +27.6% |
| 2005 | 2.80 million hectares | +56.4% |
| 2006 | 5.17 million hectares | +84.9% |
| 2007 | 2.84 million hectares | -45.0% |
| 2008 | 10.99 million hectares | +286.3% |
| 2009 | 2.17 million hectares | -80.3% |
| 2010 | 13.38 million hectares | +517.9% |
| 2011 | 16.52 million hectares | +23.4% |
| 2012 | 4.97 million hectares | -69.9% |
| 2013 | 4.05 million hectares | -18.5% |
| 2014 | 2.86 million hectares | -29.4% |
| 2015 | 1.87 million hectares | -34.5% |
| 2016 | 1.47 million hectares | -21.4% |
| 2017 | 4.82 million hectares | +227.8% |
| 2018 | 2.76 million hectares | -42.9% |
| 2019 | 1.18 million hectares | -57.2% |
| 2020 | 3.22 million hectares | +172.6% |
| 2021 | 10.60 million hectares | +229.6% |
| 2022 | 7.53 million hectares | -28.9% |
| 2023 | 10.64 million hectares | +41.2% |
| 2024 | 2.19 million hectares | -79.4% |
| 2025 | 2.59 million hectares | +18.2% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 2.59 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,022 hectares, 112.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 2.59 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.23 million hectares, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +517.9% | 2.17 million hectares | 13.38 million hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.42 million hectares | 1.40 million hectares | 10.99 million hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 5.39 million hectares | 1.18 million hectares | 16.52 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.13 million hectares | 2.19 million hectares | 10.64 million hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More reference data data for Botswana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0078 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0825 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0424 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Botswana was 2.59 million hectares in 2025, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 16.52 million hectares in 2011.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.18 million hectares in 2019.
- How does Botswana rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- Botswana ranks 26th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual area burnt by wildfires by region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total land area burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares, across all land cover types.