Annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia
Zambia: Annual area burnt by wildfires was 9.30 million hectares in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia is 9.30 million hectares, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 35.4% on the previous year and down 60.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia peaked at 23.74 million hectares in 2015 and was at its lowest, 9.30 million hectares, in 2026.
That places Zambia 4th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 23.41 million hectares | — |
| 2013 | 23.45 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 21.11 million hectares | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 23.74 million hectares | +12.4% |
| 2016 | 23.27 million hectares | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 21.29 million hectares | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 20.55 million hectares | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 21.79 million hectares | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 19.42 million hectares | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 18.25 million hectares | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 20.36 million hectares | +11.6% |
| 2023 | 19.00 million hectares | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 16.17 million hectares | -14.9% |
| 2025 | 14.38 million hectares | -11.1% |
| 2026 | 9.30 million hectares | -35.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 9.30 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 156,215 hectares, 59.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 9.30 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 506,694 hectares, 18.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.33 million hectares | 20.55 million hectares | 23.74 million hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 16.70 million hectares | 9.30 million hectares | 20.36 million hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Democratic Republic of Congo 21.93 million hectares compare
- 2 Angola 16.98 million hectares compare
- 3 Australia 14.92 million hectares compare
- 5 Russia 7.50 million hectares compare
- 6 South Sudan 7.17 million hectares compare
- 7 Mozambique 6.35 million hectares compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia?
- Annual area burnt by wildfires in Zambia was 9.30 million 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.74 million hectares in 2015.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt by wildfires recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.30 million hectares in 2026.
- How does Zambia rank for annual area burnt by wildfires?
- Zambia ranks 4th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt by wildfires rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.