Annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium
Belgium: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 5,433 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium is 5,433 hectares, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 642.2% on the previous year and up 1,048.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium peaked at 5,433 hectares in 2026 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2012.
That places Belgium 126th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, 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 in Belgium, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 306 hectares | — |
| 2014 | 754 hectares | +146.4% |
| 2015 | 180 hectares | -76.1% |
| 2016 | 473 hectares | +162.8% |
| 2017 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2018 | 282 hectares | — |
| 2019 | 734 hectares | +160.3% |
| 2020 | 127 hectares | -82.7% |
| 2021 | 1,053 hectares | +729.1% |
| 2022 | 567 hectares | -46.2% |
| 2023 | 559 hectares | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2025 | 732 hectares | — |
| 2026 | 5,433 hectares | +642.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 5,433 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 19.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 5,433 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,034 hectares, 1.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 341.12 hectares | 0 hectares | 754 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 1,210 hectares | 0 hectares | 5,433 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Belgium was 5,433 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 5,433 hectares in 2026.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2012.
- How does Belgium rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Belgium ranks 126th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,048.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium 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. 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).
About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.