Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq
Iraq: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 109,476 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 109,476 hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 76.1% on the previous year and down 67.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq peaked at 1.45 million hectares in 2019 and was at its lowest, 37,866 hectares, in 2006.
That places Iraq 66th out of 225 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 103,938 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 94,836 hectares | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 43,941 hectares | -53.7% |
| 2005 | 39,476 hectares | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 37,866 hectares | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 83,438 hectares | +120.4% |
| 2008 | 139,163 hectares | +66.8% |
| 2009 | 88,568 hectares | -36.4% |
| 2010 | 192,270 hectares | +117.1% |
| 2011 | 64,827 hectares | -66.3% |
| 2012 | 44,434 hectares | -31.5% |
| 2013 | 66,222 hectares | +49.0% |
| 2014 | 152,794 hectares | +130.7% |
| 2015 | 333,322 hectares | +118.2% |
| 2016 | 273,776 hectares | -17.9% |
| 2017 | 125,940 hectares | -54.0% |
| 2018 | 139,378 hectares | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 1.45 million hectares | +938.9% |
| 2020 | 782,195 hectares | -46.0% |
| 2021 | 165,974 hectares | -78.8% |
| 2022 | 64,226 hectares | -61.3% |
| 2023 | 206,910 hectares | +222.2% |
| 2024 | 458,661 hectares | +121.7% |
| 2025 | 109,476 hectares | -76.1% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 109,476 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,022 hectares, 4.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 109,476 hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1,116 hectares, 98.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +938.9% | 139,378 hectares | 1.45 million hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78,903 hectares | 37,866 hectares | 139,163 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 284,100 hectares | 44,434 hectares | 1.45 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 297,907 hectares | 64,226 hectares | 782,195 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq was 109,476 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 1.45 million hectares in 2019.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 37,866 hectares in 2006.
- How does Iraq rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- Iraq ranks 66th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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.