Annual area burnt by wildfires in Bhutan
Bhutan: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 6,804 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Bhutan, 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 Bhutan is 6,804 hectares, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 28.4% on the previous year and down 61.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Bhutan peaked at 40,020 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 6,804 hectares, in 2026.
That places Bhutan 116th 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 Bhutan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 40,020 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 15,307 hectares | -61.8% |
| 2014 | 30,306 hectares | +98.0% |
| 2015 | 24,754 hectares | -18.3% |
| 2016 | 17,693 hectares | -28.5% |
| 2017 | 18,253 hectares | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 6,844 hectares | -62.5% |
| 2019 | 8,753 hectares | +27.9% |
| 2020 | 8,059 hectares | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 19,193 hectares | +138.2% |
| 2022 | 7,670 hectares | -60.0% |
| 2023 | 17,161 hectares | +123.7% |
| 2024 | 15,246 hectares | -11.2% |
| 2025 | 9,500 hectares | -37.7% |
| 2026 | 6,804 hectares | -28.4% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 6,804 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 156,215 hectares, 4% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 6,804 hectares is below the median for South Asia, which is 81,866 hectares, 8% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20,241 hectares | 6,844 hectares | 40,020 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 11,948 hectares | 6,804 hectares | 19,193 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More reference data data for Bhutan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0217 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0671 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0727 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0153 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3489 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5881 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0909 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Bhutan?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Bhutan was 6,804 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 Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 40,020 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,804 hectares in 2026.
- How does Bhutan rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Bhutan ranks 116th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 61.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.