Annual area burnt by wildfires in Greenland
Greenland: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 329 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Greenland, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Greenland recorded 329 hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 159.1% on the previous year and up 213.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Greenland peaked at 3,740 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2012.
Greenland ranks 159th of 248 countries on this measure, 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 Greenland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2014 | 139 hectares | — |
| 2015 | 506 hectares | +264.0% |
| 2016 | 105 hectares | -79.2% |
| 2017 | 3,740 hectares | +3461.9% |
| 2018 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2019 | 1,932 hectares | — |
| 2020 | 475 hectares | -75.4% |
| 2021 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2022 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2023 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2024 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2025 | 127 hectares | — |
| 2026 | 329 hectares | +159.1% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 329 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 329 hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,034 hectares, 11% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 802.75 hectares | 0 hectares | 3,740 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 133 hectares | 0 hectares | 475 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More reference data data for Greenland
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2128 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0004 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0986 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1141 (2019)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0041 (2019)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 6.82 (2017)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 7.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per unit of GDP 0 metric tons per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture, per capita 0.0005 metric tons per person (2024)
- Seafood production: wild fish catch vs. aquaculture 30 metric tons (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Greenland?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Greenland was 329 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 Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 3,740 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2012.
- How does Greenland rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Greenland ranks 159th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 213.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greenland 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.