Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq

Iraq: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 458,661 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
458,661 hectares
Change on year
up 121.7%
World rank
54th
of 225 countries
All-time high
1.45 million hectares
in 2019
All-time low
37,866 hectares
in 2006
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq, 2002–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2002201320242002: 103.9k hectares2003: 94.8k hectares2004: 43.9k hectares2005: 39.5k hectares2006: 37.9k hectares2007: 83.4k hectares2008: 139.2k hectares2009: 88.6k hectares2010: 192.3k hectares2011: 64.8k hectares2012: 44.4k hectares2013: 66.2k hectares2014: 152.8k hectares2015: 333.3k hectares2016: 273.8k hectares2017: 125.9k hectares2018: 139.4k hectares2019: 1.4M hectares2020: 782.2k hectares2021: 166.0k hectares2022: 64.2k hectares2023: 206.9k hectares2024: 458.7k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

Iraq recorded 458,661 hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 121.7% on the previous year and up 200.2% 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 54th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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 335,593 hectares 64,226 hectares 782,195 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 51 Kazakhstan 568,566 hectares compare
  2. 52 Turkey 546,822 hectares compare
  3. 53 Nepal 518,465 hectares compare
  4. 55 Honduras 419,701 hectares compare
  5. 56 Malawi 381,942 hectares compare
  6. 57 Guatemala 368,612 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq?
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Iraq was 458,661 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 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 54th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is up 200.2%. 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

Indicator
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
225 places, 5,175 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

Total land area burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares, across all land cover types.