Annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea

South Korea: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 2,659 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
2,659 hectares
Change on year
down 96.2%
World rank
122nd
of 248 countries
All-time high
69,761 hectares
in 2025
All-time low
48 hectares
in 2024
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea, 2012–2026

020.0k40.0k60.0k2012201920262012: 1.1k hectares2013: 3.8k hectares2014: 7.5k hectares2015: 7.0k hectares2016: 3.9k hectares2017: 8.6k hectares2018: 3.4k hectares2019: 6.6k hectares2020: 7.9k hectares2021: 1.5k hectares2022: 35.5k hectares2023: 5.4k hectares2024: 48 hectares2025: 69.8k hectares2026: 2.7k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea is 2,659 hectares, measured in 2026.

The figure is down 96.2% on the previous year and down 32.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea peaked at 69,761 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 48 hectares, in 2024.

South Korea ranks 122nd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 5,246 hectares 1,089 hectares 8,583 hectares 8
2020s 17,525 hectares 48 hectares 69,761 hectares 7

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 119 Hungary 4,084 hectares compare
  2. 120 Suriname 3,770 hectares compare
  3. 121 Poland 3,300 hectares compare
  4. 123 North Macedonia 2,580 hectares compare
  5. 124 Somalia 2,384 hectares compare
  6. 125 Trinidad and Tobago 2,352 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea?
Annual area burnt by wildfires in South Korea was 2,659 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 69,761 hectares in 2025.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 48 hectares in 2024.
How does South Korea rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
South Korea ranks 122nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual area burnt by wildfires
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 3,720 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.