Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal
Nepal: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 156,215 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal, 2012–2026
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 Nepal is 156,215 hectares, measured in 2026.
That represents a change of down 17.2% on the previous year and down 89.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal peaked at 1.44 million hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 149,740 hectares, in 2015.
That places Nepal 62nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 649,788 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 461,357 hectares | -29.0% |
| 2014 | 737,601 hectares | +59.9% |
| 2015 | 149,740 hectares | -79.7% |
| 2016 | 1.44 million hectares | +863.3% |
| 2017 | 381,442 hectares | -73.6% |
| 2018 | 419,088 hectares | +9.9% |
| 2019 | 712,024 hectares | +69.9% |
| 2020 | 158,307 hectares | -77.8% |
| 2021 | 1.37 million hectares | +768.5% |
| 2022 | 412,052 hectares | -70.0% |
| 2023 | 633,577 hectares | +53.8% |
| 2024 | 513,940 hectares | -18.9% |
| 2025 | 188,610 hectares | -63.3% |
| 2026 | 156,215 hectares | -17.2% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 156,215 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 156,215 hectares, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 156,215 hectares is above the median for South Asia, which is 81,866 hectares, 1.9× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +863.3% | 149,740 hectares | 1.44 million hectares |
| 2021 | +768.5% | 158,307 hectares | 1.37 million hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 619,190 hectares | 149,740 hectares | 1.44 million hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 491,077 hectares | 156,215 hectares | 1.37 million hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More reference data data for Nepal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7753 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7853 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.7974 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.28 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal was 156,215 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.44 million hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 149,740 hectares in 2015.
- How does Nepal rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Nepal ranks 62nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.