Annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal
Portugal: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 65,169 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal, 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 Portugal stood at 65,169 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 69.2% on the previous year and down 68.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal peaked at 350,671 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 23,412 hectares, in 2014.
That places Portugal 77th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 141,178 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 185,526 hectares | +31.4% |
| 2014 | 23,412 hectares | -87.4% |
| 2015 | 80,261 hectares | +242.8% |
| 2016 | 208,257 hectares | +159.5% |
| 2017 | 350,671 hectares | +68.4% |
| 2018 | 44,335 hectares | -87.4% |
| 2019 | 48,929 hectares | +10.4% |
| 2020 | 60,485 hectares | +23.6% |
| 2021 | 36,951 hectares | -38.9% |
| 2022 | 94,198 hectares | +154.9% |
| 2023 | 39,285 hectares | -58.3% |
| 2024 | 157,985 hectares | +302.2% |
| 2025 | 211,551 hectares | +33.9% |
| 2026 | 65,169 hectares | -69.2% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 65,169 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 238.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 65,169 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,034 hectares, 21.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 135,321 hectares | 23,412 hectares | 350,671 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 95,089 hectares | 36,951 hectares | 211,551 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More reference data data for Portugal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5144 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.4372 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0472 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2572 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Portugal was 65,169 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 350,671 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 23,412 hectares in 2014.
- How does Portugal rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Portugal ranks 77th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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.