Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual area burnt by wildfires by region was 18,697 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
18,697 hectares
World rank
99th
of 225 countries
All-time high
21,981 hectares
in 2003
All-time low
0 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
24
2002–2025
Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom stood at 18,697 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 469.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom peaked at 21,981 hectares in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2002.
United Kingdom ranks 99th of 225 countries on this measure, 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 21,981 hectares | — |
| 2004 | 493.71 hectares | -97.8% |
| 2005 | 2,190 hectares | +343.5% |
| 2006 | 5,409 hectares | +147.1% |
| 2007 | 15,069 hectares | +178.6% |
| 2008 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2009 | 1,953 hectares | — |
| 2010 | 3,778 hectares | +93.4% |
| 2011 | 6,418 hectares | +69.9% |
| 2012 | 5,839 hectares | -9.0% |
| 2013 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2014 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2015 | 3,284 hectares | — |
| 2016 | 643.98 hectares | -80.4% |
| 2017 | 923.03 hectares | +43.3% |
| 2018 | 6,740 hectares | +630.2% |
| 2019 | 14,661 hectares | +117.5% |
| 2020 | 3,778 hectares | -74.2% |
| 2021 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2022 | 7,384 hectares | — |
| 2023 | 2,769 hectares | -62.5% |
| 2024 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2025 | 18,697 hectares | — |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 18,697 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 85.86 hectares, 217.8× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 18,697 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,113 hectares, 6.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,887 hectares | 0 hectares | 21,981 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 4,229 hectares | 0 hectares | 14,661 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,438 hectares | 0 hectares | 18,697 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 96 Uzbekistan 21,165 hectares compare
- 97 North Macedonia 20,028 hectares compare
- 98 France 18,997 hectares compare
- 100 Costa Rica 17,709 hectares compare
- 101 Suriname 15,949 hectares compare
- 102 Bosnia and Herzegovina 15,820 hectares compare
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires by region in United Kingdom was 18,697 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 21,981 hectares in 2003.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires by region recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2002.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual area burnt by wildfires by region?
- United Kingdom ranks 99th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires by region rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 469.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
Download this data
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About this data
Total land area burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares, across all land cover types.