Annual area burnt by wildfires in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 15,886 hectares in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt by wildfires in New Zealand, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 15,886 hectares for annual area burnt by wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 45.0% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in New Zealand peaked at 50,593 hectares in 2019 and was at its lowest, 15,886 hectares, in 2026.
That places New Zealand 94th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 40,984 hectares | 26,427 hectares | 50,593 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 27,442 hectares | 15,886 hectares | 37,965 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
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- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2008 °C (2026)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in New Zealand?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in New Zealand was 15,886 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 50,593 hectares in 2019.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,886 hectares in 2026.
- How does New Zealand rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- New Zealand ranks 94th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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
Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.