Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in South Korea

South Korea: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 472.25 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
472.25 hectares
Change on year
down 80.7%
World rank
136th
of 225 countries
All-time high
21,444 hectares
in 2022
All-time low
0 hectares
in 2021
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in South Korea, 2002–2024

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k2002201320242002: 5.5k hectares2003: 9.9k hectares2004: 9.2k hectares2005: 9.8k hectares2006: 1.7k hectares2007: 4.8k hectares2008: 3.0k hectares2009: 5.7k hectares2010: 1.0k hectares2011: 19.5k hectares2012: 987.4 hectares2013: 3.9k hectares2014: 7.9k hectares2015: 6.1k hectares2016: 2.6k hectares2017: 8.8k hectares2018: 21.5 hectares2019: 4.7k hectares2020: 7.2k hectares2021: 0 hectares2022: 21.4k hectares2023: 2.4k hectares2024: 472.2 hectares

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 South Korea stood at 472.25 hectares.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 80.7% on the previous year and down 94.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in South Korea peaked at 21,444 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2021.

That places South Korea 136th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6,193 hectares 1,739 hectares 9,853 hectares 8
2010s 5,542 hectares 21.47 hectares 19,470 hectares 10
2020s 6,320 hectares 0 hectares 21,444 hectares 5

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 133 Czechia 1,030 hectares compare
  2. 134 Austria 944.5 hectares compare
  3. 135 Morocco 493.72 hectares compare
  4. 137 Tunisia 429.32 hectares compare
  5. 138 Fiji 429.32 hectares compare
  6. 138 Kyrgyzstan 429.32 hectares compare
  7. 138 Palestine 429.32 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in South Korea?
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in South Korea was 472.25 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 21,444 hectares in 2022.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2021.
How does South Korea rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
South Korea ranks 136th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 94.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.