Annual area burnt by wildfires in Malaysia

Malaysia: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 47,672 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
47,672 hectares
Change on year
up 26.4%
World rank
78th
of 248 countries
All-time high
452,615 hectares
in 2014
All-time low
23,451 hectares
in 2022
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual area burnt by wildfires in Malaysia, 2012–2026

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k2012201920262012: 263.1k hectares2013: 216.9k hectares2014: 452.6k hectares2015: 287.2k hectares2016: 316.5k hectares2017: 44.3k hectares2018: 125.4k hectares2019: 197.6k hectares2020: 68.4k hectares2021: 46.7k hectares2022: 23.5k hectares2023: 41.2k hectares2024: 106.9k hectares2025: 37.7k hectares2026: 47.7k hectares

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 Malaysia stood at 47,672 hectares.

The figure is up 26.4% on the previous year and down 84.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Malaysia peaked at 452,615 hectares in 2014 and was at its lowest, 23,451 hectares, in 2022.

Malaysia ranks 78th 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 237,966 hectares 44,343 hectares 452,615 hectares 8
2020s 53,156 hectares 23,451 hectares 106,889 hectares 7

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 75 Peru 60,831 hectares compare
  2. 76 Mauritania 52,664 hectares compare
  3. 77 Portugal 47,776 hectares compare
  4. 79 Panama 43,889 hectares compare
  5. 80 Turkey 39,556 hectares compare
  6. 81 Guyana 38,793 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Malaysia?
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Malaysia was 47,672 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 452,615 hectares in 2014.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 23,451 hectares in 2022.
How does Malaysia rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
Malaysia ranks 78th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 84.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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

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.