Annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada
Canada: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 2.62 million in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada is 2.62 million, measured in 2026.
That represents a change of down 64.5% on the previous year and up 68.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada peaked at 14.90 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 611,974, in 2020.
Canada ranks 20th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2.15 million | — |
| 2013 | 3.89 million | +80.5% |
| 2014 | 4.38 million | +12.6% |
| 2015 | 4.09 million | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 1.55 million | -62.0% |
| 2017 | 4.04 million | +160.6% |
| 2018 | 2.87 million | -28.9% |
| 2019 | 2.10 million | -27.0% |
| 2020 | 611,974 | -70.9% |
| 2021 | 4.47 million | +630.3% |
| 2022 | 1.74 million | -61.1% |
| 2023 | 14.90 million | +756.7% |
| 2024 | 5.15 million | -65.4% |
| 2025 | 7.37 million | +42.9% |
| 2026 | 2.62 million | -64.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 2.62 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 273, 9587.5× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +756.7% | 1.74 million | 14.90 million |
| 2021 | +630.3% | 611,974 | 4.47 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.13 million | 1.55 million | 4.38 million | 8 |
| 2020s | 5.27 million | 611,974 | 14.90 million | 7 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Canada was 2.62 million in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 14.90 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 611,974 in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Canada ranks 20th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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).