Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Namibia

Namibia: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 1.06 million hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.06 million hectares
Change on year
down 55.9%
World rank
43rd
of 225 countries
All-time high
8.75 million hectares
in 2012
All-time low
916,635 hectares
in 2019
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M2002201320242002: 3.1M hectares2003: 3.1M hectares2004: 3.7M hectares2005: 3.5M hectares2006: 5.2M hectares2007: 4.5M hectares2008: 2.8M hectares2009: 5.4M hectares2010: 4.8M hectares2011: 8.3M hectares2012: 8.7M hectares2013: 3.7M hectares2014: 2.6M hectares2015: 2.5M hectares2016: 2.1M hectares2017: 2.7M hectares2018: 2.0M hectares2019: 916.6k hectares2020: 3.3M hectares2021: 3.9M hectares2022: 2.5M hectares2023: 2.4M hectares2024: 1.1M hectares

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

Analysis

Namibia recorded 1.06 million hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in 2024.

The figure is down 55.9% on the previous year and down 59.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Namibia peaked at 8.75 million hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 916,635 hectares, in 2019.

That places Namibia 43rd 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 3.92 million hectares 2.84 million hectares 5.36 million hectares 8
2010s 3.83 million hectares 916,635 hectares 8.75 million hectares 10
2020s 2.62 million hectares 1.06 million hectares 3.93 million hectares 5

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 40 Ukraine 1.25 million hectares compare
  2. 41 Benin 1.09 million hectares compare
  3. 42 Laos 1.08 million hectares compare
  4. 44 Vietnam 956,262 hectares compare
  5. 45 Sierra Leone 921,444 hectares compare
  6. 46 Thailand 825,942 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Namibia?
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Namibia was 1.06 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 Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 8.75 million hectares in 2012.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 916,635 hectares in 2019.
How does Namibia rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
Namibia ranks 43rd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is down 59.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Namibia 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.