Annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada
Canada: Annual area burnt per wildfire was 773.01 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada stood at 773.01.
The figure is down 38.8% on the previous year and up 78.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada peaked at 1,330 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 240.18, in 2020.
Canada ranks 3rd of 182 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 569.49 | — |
| 2013 | 699.43 | +22.8% |
| 2014 | 738.24 | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 697.27 | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 432.72 | -37.9% |
| 2017 | 702.99 | +62.5% |
| 2018 | 659.52 | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 710.32 | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 240.18 | -66.2% |
| 2021 | 813.3 | +238.6% |
| 2022 | 595.75 | -26.7% |
| 2023 | 1,330 | +123.3% |
| 2024 | 1,119 | -15.9% |
| 2025 | 1,262 | +12.8% |
| 2026 | 773.01 | -38.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 773.01 is above the median for high income countries, which is 212.67, 3.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +238.6% | 240.18 | 813.3 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 651.25 | 432.72 | 738.24 | 8 |
| 2020s | 876.21 | 240.18 | 1,330 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire in Canada was 773.01 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1,330 in 2023.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 240.18 in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for annual area burnt per wildfire?
- Canada ranks 3rd out of 182 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 78.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual 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).