Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Kenya
Kenya: Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires was 337 wildfires in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Kenya, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in wildfires.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 337 wildfires for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 51.2% on the previous year and down 61.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Kenya peaked at 1,718 wildfires in 2012 and was at its lowest, 337 wildfires, in 2026.
That places Kenya 73rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,718 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 1,053 wildfires | -38.7% |
| 2014 | 870 wildfires | -17.4% |
| 2015 | 1,317 wildfires | +51.4% |
| 2016 | 884 wildfires | -32.9% |
| 2017 | 659 wildfires | -25.5% |
| 2018 | 541 wildfires | -17.9% |
| 2019 | 1,053 wildfires | +94.6% |
| 2020 | 1,147 wildfires | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 1,122 wildfires | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 509 wildfires | -54.6% |
| 2023 | 480 wildfires | -5.7% |
| 2024 | 624 wildfires | +30.0% |
| 2025 | 691 wildfires | +10.7% |
| 2026 | 337 wildfires | -51.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 337 wildfires is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625 wildfires, 54% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 337 wildfires is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 25% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1,012 wildfires | 541 wildfires | 1,718 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 701.43 wildfires | 337 wildfires | 1,147 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 58.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 68.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.05 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Kenya?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Kenya was 337 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 1,718 wildfires in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 337 wildfires in 2026.
- How does Kenya rank for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires?
- Kenya ranks 73rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 61.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.