Annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 1,982 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan is 1,982, measured in 2026.
That represents a change of down 9.9% on the previous year and down 79.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan peaked at 29,652 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1,929, in 2022.
Afghanistan ranks 137th of 248 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 in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 10,430 | — |
| 2013 | 5,892 | -43.5% |
| 2014 | 5,134 | -12.9% |
| 2015 | 4,084 | -20.5% |
| 2016 | 9,681 | +137.0% |
| 2017 | 15,400 | +59.1% |
| 2018 | 10,025 | -34.9% |
| 2019 | 7,699 | -23.2% |
| 2020 | 29,652 | +285.1% |
| 2021 | 16,941 | -42.9% |
| 2022 | 1,929 | -88.6% |
| 2023 | 2,204 | +14.3% |
| 2024 | 2,045 | -7.2% |
| 2025 | 2,199 | +7.5% |
| 2026 | 1,982 | -9.9% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 1,982 is below the median for low income countries, which is 198,497, 1% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 1,982 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1,357, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +285.1% | 7,699 | 29,652 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8,543 | 4,084 | 15,400 | 8 |
| 2020s | 8,136 | 1,929 | 29,652 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More reference data data for Afghanistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8991 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4362 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 18.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.38 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Afghanistan was 1,982 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 29,652 in 2020.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,929 in 2022.
- How does Afghanistan rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Afghanistan ranks 137th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 79.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual area burnt by wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).