Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sweden

Sweden: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 345 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
345 hectares
Change on year
down 45.6%
World rank
154th
of 248 countries
All-time high
33,875 hectares
in 2018
All-time low
345 hectares
in 2026
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sweden, 2012–2026

010.0k20.0k30.0k2012201920262012: 2.0k hectares2013: 2.8k hectares2014: 20.7k hectares2015: 2.9k hectares2016: 1.9k hectares2017: 1.8k hectares2018: 33.9k hectares2019: 2.6k hectares2020: 16.1k hectares2021: 1.8k hectares2022: 1.5k hectares2023: 1.1k hectares2024: 790 hectares2025: 634 hectares2026: 345 hectares

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 Sweden stood at 345 hectares. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is down 45.6% on the previous year and down 82.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Sweden peaked at 33,875 hectares in 2018 and was at its lowest, 345 hectares, in 2026.

Sweden ranks 154th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 8,570 hectares 1,809 hectares 33,875 hectares 8
2020s 3,184 hectares 345 hectares 16,117 hectares 7

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 151 Solomon Islands 382 hectares compare
  2. 152 Finland 378 hectares compare
  3. 155 Greenland 329 hectares compare
  4. 156 Brunei 293 hectares compare
  5. 157 Armenia 291 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More reference data data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Sweden?
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Sweden was 345 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 Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 33,875 hectares in 2018.
What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 345 hectares in 2026.
How does Sweden rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
Sweden ranks 154th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 82.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sweden 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

Indicator
Annual area burnt by wildfires
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 3,720 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

Area burnt by wildfires in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.