Annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil
Brazil: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 5.96 million hectares in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil stood at 5.96 million hectares. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 63.6% on the previous year and down 80.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil peaked at 41.23 million hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.96 million hectares, in 2026.
Brazil ranks 9th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 39.11 million hectares | — |
| 2013 | 18.18 million hectares | -53.5% |
| 2014 | 28.61 million hectares | +57.3% |
| 2015 | 41.04 million hectares | +43.5% |
| 2016 | 30.05 million hectares | -26.8% |
| 2017 | 37.60 million hectares | +25.1% |
| 2018 | 19.93 million hectares | -47.0% |
| 2019 | 33.96 million hectares | +70.4% |
| 2020 | 37.36 million hectares | +10.0% |
| 2021 | 29.10 million hectares | -22.1% |
| 2022 | 32.59 million hectares | +12.0% |
| 2023 | 27.49 million hectares | -15.7% |
| 2024 | 41.23 million hectares | +50.0% |
| 2025 | 16.35 million hectares | -60.3% |
| 2026 | 5.96 million hectares | -63.6% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 5.96 million hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 38,000 hectares, 156.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 5.96 million hectares is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12,198 hectares, 488.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31.06 million hectares | 18.18 million hectares | 41.04 million hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 27.15 million hectares | 5.96 million hectares | 41.23 million hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 6 South Sudan 7.17 million hectares compare
- 7 Mozambique 6.35 million hectares compare
- 8 Central African Republic 6.02 million hectares compare
- 10 Myanmar 4.33 million hectares compare
- 11 Indonesia 4.20 million hectares compare
- 12 India 4.04 million hectares compare
More reference data data for Brazil
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 13.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 72.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 139.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 9.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 139.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 46.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 18.99 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 405.35 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 699.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 49.04 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Brazil was 5.96 million 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 41.23 million hectares in 2024.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.96 million hectares in 2026.
- How does Brazil rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Brazil ranks 9th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil 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.
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About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.