Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo
Congo: Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires was 3,613 wildfires in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in wildfires.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo is 3,613 wildfires, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 12.6% on the previous year and down 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo peaked at 6,618 wildfires in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3,613 wildfires, in 2026.
Congo ranks 29th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 5,638 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 6,618 wildfires | +17.4% |
| 2014 | 5,198 wildfires | -21.5% |
| 2015 | 6,103 wildfires | +17.4% |
| 2016 | 6,138 wildfires | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 5,022 wildfires | -18.2% |
| 2018 | 5,942 wildfires | +18.3% |
| 2019 | 5,309 wildfires | -10.7% |
| 2020 | 5,829 wildfires | +9.8% |
| 2021 | 4,954 wildfires | -15.0% |
| 2022 | 6,229 wildfires | +25.7% |
| 2023 | 4,773 wildfires | -23.4% |
| 2024 | 5,703 wildfires | +19.5% |
| 2025 | 4,136 wildfires | -27.5% |
| 2026 | 3,613 wildfires | -12.6% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 3,613 wildfires is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625 wildfires, 5.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 3,613 wildfires is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 2.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5,746 wildfires | 5,022 wildfires | 6,618 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 5,034 wildfires | 3,613 wildfires | 6,229 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More reference data data for Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1866 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0031 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0668 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.017 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Congo was 3,613 wildfires in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6,618 wildfires in 2013.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,613 wildfires in 2026.
- How does Congo rank for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires?
- Congo ranks 29th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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 per wildfire vs. number of fires. 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).
About this data
Number of wildfires. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.