Average area burnt per wildfire in Australia
Australia: Average area burnt per wildfire was 614.28 hectares in 2026. ▼ Falling
Average area burnt per wildfire in Australia, 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 average area burnt per wildfire in Australia is 614.28 hectares, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.4% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average area burnt per wildfire in Australia peaked at 1,175 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 614.28 hectares, in 2026.
Australia ranks 9th of 182 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Average area burnt per wildfire in Australia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,175 hectares | — |
| 2013 | 810.03 hectares | -31.1% |
| 2014 | 895.15 hectares | +10.5% |
| 2015 | 877.36 hectares | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 695.48 hectares | -20.7% |
| 2017 | 791.31 hectares | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 855.56 hectares | +8.1% |
| 2019 | 1,056 hectares | +23.4% |
| 2020 | 666.96 hectares | -36.8% |
| 2021 | 663.99 hectares | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 716.93 hectares | +8.0% |
| 2023 | 1,085 hectares | +51.3% |
| 2024 | 875.63 hectares | -19.3% |
| 2025 | 908.5 hectares | +3.8% |
| 2026 | 614.28 hectares | -32.4% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 614.28 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 215 hectares, 2.9× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Australia's 614.28 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 276.78 hectares, 2.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 894.45 hectares | 695.48 hectares | 1,175 hectares | 8 |
| 2020s | 790.14 hectares | 614.28 hectares | 1,085 hectares | 7 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average area burnt per wildfire in Australia?
- Average area burnt per wildfire in Australia was 614.28 hectares in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,175 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 614.28 hectares in 2026.
- How does Australia rank for average area burnt per wildfire?
- Australia ranks 9th out of 182 countries with data for 2026.
- Is average area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average area burnt per wildfire. 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
Average area burnt per wildfire, in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.