Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China
China: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 3.83 million hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China, 2002–2024
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China is 3.83 million hectares, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 57.0% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China peaked at 5.42 million hectares in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.51 million hectares, in 2016.
That places China 24th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.08 million hectares | 1.55 million hectares | 3.98 million hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.44 million hectares | 1.51 million hectares | 5.42 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.79 million hectares | 2.40 million hectares | 3.83 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 21 Senegal 4.15 million hectares compare
- 22 Ethiopia 4.01 million hectares compare
- 23 Madagascar 3.94 million hectares compare
- 25 United States 3.81 million hectares compare
- 26 Burkina Faso 3.77 million hectares compare
- 27 Guinea 3.53 million hectares compare
More reference data data for China
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.0991 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.15 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.34 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.06 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in China was 3.83 million hectares in 2024, 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.42 million hectares in 2014.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.51 million hectares in 2016.
- How does China rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- China ranks 24th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.