Annual area burnt by wildfires in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 739,439 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Papua New Guinea, 2012–2026
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 Papua New Guinea stood at 739,439 hectares.
The figure is up 327.1% on the previous year and up 153.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Papua New Guinea peaked at 2.16 million hectares in 2015 and was at its lowest, 173,119 hectares, in 2025.
Papua New Guinea ranks 37th of 248 countries on this measure, 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 Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 400,087 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 378,294 hectares | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 622,042 hectares | +64.4% |
| 2015 | 2.16 million hectares | +247.7% |
| 2016 | 292,083 hectares | -86.5% |
| 2017 | 403,761 hectares | +38.2% |
| 2018 | 792,659 hectares | +96.3% |
| 2019 | 484,450 hectares | -38.9% |
| 2020 | 259,237 hectares | -46.5% |
| 2021 | 309,580 hectares | +19.4% |
| 2022 | 485,245 hectares | +56.7% |
| 2023 | 650,624 hectares | +34.1% |
| 2024 | 262,371 hectares | -59.7% |
| 2025 | 173,119 hectares | -34.0% |
| 2026 | 739,439 hectares | +327.1% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 739,439 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 156,215 hectares, 4.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 739,439 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,872 hectares, 257.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 692,003 hectares | 292,083 hectares | 2.16 million hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 411,374 hectares | 173,119 hectares | 739,439 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More reference data data for Papua New Guinea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0007 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6846 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5295 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2811 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0038 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Papua New Guinea?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Papua New Guinea was 739,439 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.16 million hectares in 2015.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 173,119 hectares in 2025.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 37th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 153.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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 18 September 2026.