Annual area burnt by wildfires in Switzerland
Switzerland: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 75 hectares in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2026)
75 hectares
World rank
172nd
of 248 countries
All-time high
740 hectares
in 2022
All-time low
0 hectares
in 2012
Years of data
15
2012–2026
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Switzerland, 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 Switzerland stood at 75 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 85.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Switzerland peaked at 740 hectares in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2012.
Switzerland ranks 172nd 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2014 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2015 | 162 hectares | — |
| 2016 | 505 hectares | +211.7% |
| 2017 | 271 hectares | -46.3% |
| 2018 | 321 hectares | +18.5% |
| 2019 | 13 hectares | -96.0% |
| 2020 | 160 hectares | +1130.8% |
| 2021 | 100 hectares | -37.5% |
| 2022 | 740 hectares | +640.0% |
| 2023 | 380 hectares | -48.6% |
| 2024 | 0 hectares | -100.0% |
| 2025 | 0 hectares | — |
| 2026 | 75 hectares | — |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 75 hectares is below the median for high income countries, which is 273 hectares, 27% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 75 hectares is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3,034 hectares, 2% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 159 hectares | 0 hectares | 505 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 207.86 hectares | 0 hectares | 740 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 169 Grenada 159 hectares compare
- 170 Kuwait 143 hectares compare
- 171 Libya 115 hectares compare
- 173 Aland Islands 0 hectares
- 173 American Samoa 0 hectares
- 173 Andorra 0 hectares
- 173 Anguilla 0 hectares
- 173 Antigua and Barbuda 0 hectares compare
- 173 Aruba 0 hectares
- 173 Bahrain 0 hectares
- 173 Bermuda 0 hectares
- 173 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 0 hectares
- 173 Bouvet Island 0 hectares
- 173 British Indian Ocean Territory 0 hectares
- 173 British Virgin Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Cayman Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Christmas Island 0 hectares
- 173 Cocos Islands 0 hectares
- 173 Cook Islands 0 hectares
- 173 Curacao 0 hectares compare
- 173 Cyprus 0 hectares compare
- 173 Dominica 0 hectares compare
- 173 Estonia 0 hectares compare
- 173 Falkland Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Faroe Islands 0 hectares
- 173 French Polynesia 0 hectares
- 173 French Southern Territories 0 hectares
- 173 Gibraltar 0 hectares
- 173 Guam 0 hectares compare
- 173 Guernsey 0 hectares
- 173 Heard Island and McDonald Islands 0 hectares
- 173 Hong Kong 0 hectares compare
- 173 Iceland 0 hectares compare
- 173 Isle of Man 0 hectares
- 173 Jersey 0 hectares
- 173 Kiribati 0 hectares
- 173 Liechtenstein 0 hectares
- 173 Luxembourg 0 hectares
- 173 Macao 0 hectares
- 173 Maldives 0 hectares
- 173 Malta 0 hectares compare
- 173 Marshall Islands 0 hectares
- 173 Martinique 0 hectares compare
- 173 Mauritius 0 hectares compare
- 173 Mayotte 0 hectares compare
- 173 Micronesia (country) 0 hectares compare
- 173 Monaco 0 hectares
- 173 Montserrat 0 hectares compare
- 173 Nauru 0 hectares
- 173 Niue 0 hectares
- 173 Norfolk Island 0 hectares
- 173 Northern Mariana Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Pitcairn 0 hectares
- 173 Qatar 0 hectares compare
- 173 Saint Barthelemy 0 hectares
- 173 Saint Helena 0 hectares
- 173 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 hectares compare
- 173 Saint Lucia 0 hectares compare
- 173 Saint Martin (French part) 0 hectares
- 173 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0 hectares
- 173 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 hectares compare
- 173 Samoa 0 hectares
- 173 San Marino 0 hectares
- 173 Sao Tome and Principe 0 hectares compare
- 173 Seychelles 0 hectares
- 173 Singapore 0 hectares
- 173 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 0 hectares
- 173 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 0 hectares
- 173 Svalbard and Jan Mayen 0 hectares compare
- 173 Tokelau 0 hectares
- 173 Tonga 0 hectares
- 173 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Tuvalu 0 hectares
- 173 United Arab Emirates 0 hectares compare
- 173 United States Minor Outlying Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 United States Virgin Islands 0 hectares compare
- 173 Vatican 0 hectares
- 173 Wallis and Futuna 0 hectares
- 173 Western Sahara 0 hectares compare
More reference data data for Switzerland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5507 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2683 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.272 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Switzerland?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Switzerland was 75 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 740 hectares in 2022.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2012.
- How does Switzerland rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Switzerland ranks 172nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 85.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.