Annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand
New Zealand: Annual area burnt per wildfire was 168.64 in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand stood at 168.64. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.8% on the previous year and down 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand peaked at 237.65 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 168.64, in 2026.
New Zealand ranks 158th of 182 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 186 | — |
| 2013 | 193.49 | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 205.91 | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 205.25 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 196.36 | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 215.89 | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 183.52 | -15.0% |
| 2019 | 213.47 | +16.3% |
| 2020 | 214.49 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 206.62 | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 202.22 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 226.92 | +12.2% |
| 2024 | 237.65 | +4.7% |
| 2025 | 207.68 | -12.6% |
| 2026 | 168.64 | -18.8% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 168.64 is below the median for high income countries, which is 212.67, 79% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 168.64 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 286.12, 59% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 199.99 | 183.52 | 215.89 | 8 |
| 2020s | 209.17 | 168.64 | 237.65 | 7 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 155 Haiti 170.79 compare
- 156 East Timor 170.12 compare
- 157 Falkland Islands 169 compare
- 159 Romania 168.21 compare
- 160 Cape Verde 167.67 compare
- 161 Greenland 164.5 compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand?
- Annual area burnt per wildfire in New Zealand was 168.64 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 237.65 in 2024.
- What is the lowest annual area burnt per wildfire recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 168.64 in 2026.
- How does New Zealand rank for annual area burnt per wildfire?
- New Zealand ranks 158th out of 182 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).