Annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya
Kenya: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 103,130 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya stood at 103,130. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 61.6% on the previous year and down 57.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya peaked at 749,386 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 103,130, in 2026.
That places Kenya 71st out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 749,386 | — |
| 2013 | 384,195 | -48.7% |
| 2014 | 254,513 | -33.8% |
| 2015 | 366,728 | +44.1% |
| 2016 | 243,690 | -33.6% |
| 2017 | 161,587 | -33.7% |
| 2018 | 125,244 | -22.5% |
| 2019 | 334,120 | +166.8% |
| 2020 | 431,060 | +29.0% |
| 2021 | 373,553 | -13.3% |
| 2022 | 131,839 | -64.7% |
| 2023 | 131,139 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 208,952 | +59.3% |
| 2025 | 268,588 | +28.5% |
| 2026 | 103,130 | -61.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 103,130 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 156,215, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 103,130 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 535,614, 19% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 327,433 | 125,244 | 749,386 | 8 |
| 2020s | 235,466 | 103,130 | 431,060 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Kenya was 103,130 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 749,386 in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 103,130 in 2026.
- How does Kenya rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Kenya ranks 71st out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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).