Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal

Nepal: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 156,215 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
156,215 hectares
Change on year
down 17.2%
World rank
60th
of 248 countries
All-time high
1.44 million hectares
in 2016
All-time low
149,740 hectares
in 2015
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual area burnt by wildfires in Nepal, 2012–2026

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2012201920262012: 649.8k hectares2013: 461.4k hectares2014: 737.6k hectares2015: 149.7k hectares2016: 1.4M hectares2017: 381.4k hectares2018: 419.1k hectares2019: 712.0k hectares2020: 158.3k hectares2021: 1.4M hectares2022: 412.1k hectares2023: 633.6k hectares2024: 513.9k hectares2025: 188.6k hectares2026: 156.2k 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 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 60th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 57 Spain 185,948 hectares compare
  2. 58 Guatemala 172,703 hectares compare
  3. 59 Liberia 170,428 hectares compare
  4. 61 Bangladesh 143,982 hectares compare
  5. 62 Iran 123,227 hectares compare
  6. 63 Gabon 110,425 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

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 60th 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.

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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.