Annual area burnt by wildfires in Japan
Japan: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 14,979 hectares in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Japan, 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 Japan stood at 14,979 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 110.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Japan peaked at 18,456 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4,656 hectares, in 2012.
Japan ranks 96th of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 10,950 hectares | 4,656 hectares | 17,344 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 12,420 hectares | 6,062 hectares | 18,456 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 93 Ecuador 15,963 hectares compare
- 94 New Zealand 15,886 hectares compare
- 95 Belarus 15,390 hectares compare
- 97 North Korea 13,509 hectares compare
- 98 Vanuatu 12,291 hectares compare
- 99 Azerbaijan 11,031 hectares compare
More reference data data for Japan
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1053 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.7172 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.9 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5865 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 118.04 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Japan?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Japan was 14,979 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 18,456 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,656 hectares in 2012.
- How does Japan rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Japan ranks 96th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 110.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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
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About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.