Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Namibia
Namibia: Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires was 1,305 wildfires in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Namibia, 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 Namibia is 1,305 wildfires, measured in 2026.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and down 38.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Namibia peaked at 5,675 wildfires in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1,025 wildfires, in 2024.
That places Namibia 48th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 5,675 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 3,059 wildfires | -46.1% |
| 2014 | 2,815 wildfires | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 2,518 wildfires | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 2,113 wildfires | -16.1% |
| 2017 | 2,726 wildfires | +29.0% |
| 2018 | 1,884 wildfires | -30.9% |
| 2019 | 1,059 wildfires | -43.8% |
| 2020 | 2,688 wildfires | +153.8% |
| 2021 | 3,060 wildfires | +13.8% |
| 2022 | 2,408 wildfires | -21.3% |
| 2023 | 2,483 wildfires | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 1,025 wildfires | -58.7% |
| 2025 | 1,363 wildfires | +33.0% |
| 2026 | 1,305 wildfires | -4.3% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 1,305 wildfires is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625 wildfires, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 1,305 wildfires is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2,731 wildfires | 1,059 wildfires | 5,675 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 2,047 wildfires | 1,025 wildfires | 3,060 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 45 Philippines 1,583 wildfires compare
- 46 Burkina Faso 1,541 wildfires compare
- 47 Cote d'Ivoire 1,382 wildfires compare
- 49 Honduras 1,102 wildfires compare
- 50 Chile 957 wildfires compare
- 51 Benin 860 wildfires compare
More reference data data for Namibia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0579 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0157 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1306 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0853 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Namibia?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires in Namibia was 1,305 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 5,675 wildfires in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,025 wildfires in 2024.
- How does Namibia rank for annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires?
- Namibia ranks 48th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire vs. number of fires rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia 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.