Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 20,210 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2026)
20,210
Change on year
up 10.5%
World rank
99th
of 248 countries
All-time high
88,177
in 2012
All-time low
12,983
in 2024
Years of data
15
2012–2026
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sri Lanka, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 20,210 for annual area burnt by wildfires in 2026.
The figure is up 10.5% on the previous year and down 69.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Sri Lanka peaked at 88,177 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 12,983, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 99th of 248 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 88,177 | — |
| 2013 | 76,388 | -13.4% |
| 2014 | 71,129 | -6.9% |
| 2015 | 28,739 | -59.6% |
| 2016 | 66,389 | +131.0% |
| 2017 | 26,127 | -60.6% |
| 2018 | 45,105 | +72.6% |
| 2019 | 46,993 | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 33,378 | -29.0% |
| 2021 | 16,699 | -50.0% |
| 2022 | 25,775 | +54.4% |
| 2023 | 42,241 | +63.9% |
| 2024 | 12,983 | -69.3% |
| 2025 | 18,285 | +40.8% |
| 2026 | 20,210 | +10.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 20,210 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 39,413, 51% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 20,210 is below the median for South Asia, which is 82,096, 25% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 56,131 | 26,127 | 88,177 | 8 |
| 2020s | 24,224 | 12,983 | 42,241 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 96 North Macedonia 27,723 compare
- 97 Suriname 27,022 compare
- 98 Turkmenistan 23,993 compare
- 100 Eswatini 20,011 compare
- 101 Vanuatu 19,351 compare
- 102 Azerbaijan 18,370 compare
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Sri Lanka?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sri Lanka was 20,210 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 88,177 in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,983 in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Sri Lanka ranks 99th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from 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).