Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan
Japan: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 11,162 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan, 2002–2024
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan stood at 11,162 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 47.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan peaked at 21,616 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3,048 hectares, in 2012.
Japan ranks 104th of 225 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12,987 hectares | 6,096 hectares | 18,911 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 12,347 hectares | 3,048 hectares | 21,230 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,438 hectares | 7,341 hectares | 21,616 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.7172 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1053 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Consumer price index 118.04 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.9 °C (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Japan was 11,162 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 21,616 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,048 hectares in 2012.
- How does Japan rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- Japan ranks 104th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.