Annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain
Spain: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 248,155 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain, 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 Spain stood at 248,155 hectares.
That represents a change of down 37.5% on the previous year and up 112.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain peaked at 397,253 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 45,336 hectares, in 2018.
That places Spain 52nd 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 Spain, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 294,295 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 98,506 hectares | -66.5% |
| 2014 | 85,901 hectares | -12.8% |
| 2015 | 145,270 hectares | +69.1% |
| 2016 | 116,749 hectares | -19.6% |
| 2017 | 238,754 hectares | +104.5% |
| 2018 | 45,336 hectares | -81.0% |
| 2019 | 142,738 hectares | +214.8% |
| 2020 | 105,354 hectares | -26.2% |
| 2021 | 127,533 hectares | +21.1% |
| 2022 | 349,290 hectares | +173.9% |
| 2023 | 140,658 hectares | -59.7% |
| 2024 | 55,978 hectares | -60.2% |
| 2025 | 397,253 hectares | +609.7% |
| 2026 | 248,155 hectares | -37.5% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 248,155 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 909.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Spain's 248,155 hectares is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,034 hectares, 81.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +609.7% | 55,978 hectares | 397,253 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 145,944 hectares | 45,336 hectares | 294,295 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 203,460 hectares | 55,978 hectares | 397,253 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More reference data data for Spain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.898 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.06 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 52.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Spain was 248,155 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 397,253 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,336 hectares in 2018.
- How does Spain rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Spain ranks 52nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 112.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Spain 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
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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.