Average area burnt per wildfire in China

China: Average area burnt per wildfire was 303.81 hectares in 2026. ▲ Rising

Latest (2026)
303.81 hectares
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
62nd
of 181 countries
All-time high
303.81 hectares
in 2026
All-time low
197.39 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Average area burnt per wildfire in China, 2012–2026

01002003002012201920262012: 250.6 hectares2013: 244.3 hectares2014: 260.8 hectares2015: 272.8 hectares2016: 239.9 hectares2017: 261 hectares2018: 197.4 hectares2019: 253.9 hectares2020: 299.8 hectares2021: 277.7 hectares2022: 259 hectares2023: 285.4 hectares2024: 302.1 hectares2025: 293.9 hectares2026: 303.8 hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2026, average area burnt per wildfire in China stood at 303.81 hectares. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 26.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average area burnt per wildfire in China peaked at 303.81 hectares in 2026 and was at its lowest, 197.39 hectares, in 2018.

China ranks 62nd of 181 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 247.59 hectares 197.39 hectares 272.78 hectares 8
2020s 288.81 hectares 259.04 hectares 303.81 hectares 7

Countries ranked near China

  1. 59 Guinea-Bissau 307.75 hectares compare
  2. 60 Zambia 307.31 hectares compare
  3. 61 Honduras 305.54 hectares compare
  4. 63 Tanzania 302.15 hectares compare
  5. 64 Dominican Republic 302.1 hectares compare
  6. 65 Kazakhstan 299.24 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is average area burnt per wildfire in China?
Average area burnt per wildfire in China was 303.81 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 China?
The highest recorded value was 303.81 hectares in 2026.
What is the lowest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 197.39 hectares in 2018.
How does China rank for average area burnt per wildfire?
China ranks 62nd out of 181 countries with data for 2026.
Is average area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China 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

Indicator
Average area burnt per wildfire
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
181 places, 2,589 data points, 2012–2026
Last refreshed

The average area burnt per wildfire, in hectares. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.