Annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana
Botswana: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 516,876 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana stood at 516,876. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 37.4% on the previous year and down 36.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana peaked at 5.21 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 516,876, in 2026.
Botswana ranks 45th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2.11 million | — |
| 2013 | 1.84 million | -13.0% |
| 2014 | 1.11 million | -39.4% |
| 2015 | 1.17 million | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 818,335 | -29.9% |
| 2017 | 2.58 million | +215.5% |
| 2018 | 1.36 million | -47.5% |
| 2019 | 865,061 | -36.2% |
| 2020 | 1.44 million | +66.8% |
| 2021 | 5.21 million | +261.2% |
| 2022 | 3.80 million | -27.0% |
| 2023 | 4.42 million | +16.1% |
| 2024 | 819,930 | -81.4% |
| 2025 | 825,994 | +0.7% |
| 2026 | 516,876 | -37.4% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 516,876 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 39,413, 13.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 516,876 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 535,614, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +261.2% | 1.44 million | 5.21 million |
| 2017 | +215.5% | 818,335 | 2.58 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.48 million | 818,335 | 2.58 million | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.43 million | 516,876 | 5.21 million | 7 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 42 Uganda 673,063 compare
- 43 Kazakhstan 664,587 compare
- 44 Burkina Faso 554,352 compare
- 46 Ukraine 491,741 compare
- 47 Cote d'Ivoire 451,937 compare
- 48 Benin 343,416 compare
More reference data data for Botswana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0078 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0825 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0424 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Botswana was 516,876 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 5.21 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 516,876 in 2026.
- How does Botswana rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Botswana ranks 45th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Botswana 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).