Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Portugal
Portugal: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 266,907 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Portugal, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 266,907 hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires by region in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 90.5% on the previous year and up 527.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Portugal peaked at 523,552 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 6,762 hectares, in 2008.
That places Portugal 60th 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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 101,405 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 473,923 hectares | +367.4% |
| 2004 | 107,673 hectares | -77.3% |
| 2005 | 332,485 hectares | +208.8% |
| 2006 | 68,734 hectares | -79.3% |
| 2007 | 17,001 hectares | -75.3% |
| 2008 | 6,762 hectares | -60.2% |
| 2009 | 66,909 hectares | +889.5% |
| 2010 | 151,141 hectares | +125.9% |
| 2011 | 55,962 hectares | -63.0% |
| 2012 | 88,718 hectares | +58.5% |
| 2013 | 178,188 hectares | +100.8% |
| 2014 | 10,948 hectares | -93.9% |
| 2015 | 42,567 hectares | +288.8% |
| 2016 | 161,101 hectares | +278.5% |
| 2017 | 523,552 hectares | +225.0% |
| 2018 | 36,148 hectares | -93.1% |
| 2019 | 28,743 hectares | -20.5% |
| 2020 | 53,750 hectares | +87.0% |
| 2021 | 15,992 hectares | -70.2% |
| 2022 | 95,437 hectares | +496.8% |
| 2023 | 27,970 hectares | -70.7% |
| 2024 | 140,086 hectares | +400.8% |
| 2025 | 266,907 hectares | +90.5% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 266,907 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 85.86 hectares, 3108.5× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 266,907 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,113 hectares, 85.8× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 146,861 hectares | 6,762 hectares | 473,923 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 127,707 hectares | 10,948 hectares | 523,552 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 100,024 hectares | 15,992 hectares | 266,907 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 57 Iran 300,007 hectares compare
- 58 Bangladesh 290,047 hectares compare
- 59 Mauritania 277,060 hectares compare
- 61 Guinea-Bissau 225,241 hectares compare
- 62 Guatemala 215,281 hectares compare
- 63 Mongolia 177,952 hectares compare
More reference data data for Portugal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5144 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4372 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2572 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Portugal?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in Portugal was 266,907 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 523,552 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,762 hectares in 2008.
- How does Portugal rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- Portugal ranks 60th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 527.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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.