Average area burnt per wildfire in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Average area burnt per wildfire was 346.97 hectares in 2026. ▲ Rising

Latest (2026)
346.97 hectares
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
39th
of 181 countries
All-time high
346.97 hectares
in 2026
All-time low
123.07 hectares
in 2014
Years of data
15
2012–2026

Average area burnt per wildfire in United Kingdom, 2012–2026

01002003002012201920262012: 174.6 hectares2013: 181.7 hectares2014: 123.1 hectares2015: 172.5 hectares2016: 147.7 hectares2017: 203.2 hectares2018: 206.2 hectares2019: 238.1 hectares2020: 233.1 hectares2021: 161.5 hectares2022: 196.7 hectares2023: 259 hectares2024: 144.9 hectares2025: 343.5 hectares2026: 347 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 United Kingdom stood at 346.97 hectares. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 134.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average area burnt per wildfire in United Kingdom peaked at 346.97 hectares in 2026 and was at its lowest, 123.07 hectares, in 2014.

That places United Kingdom 39th out of 181 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 180.89 hectares 123.07 hectares 238.14 hectares 8
2020s 240.82 hectares 144.89 hectares 346.97 hectares 7

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 36 Colombia 357.65 hectares compare
  2. 37 Spain 356.91 hectares compare
  3. 38 Brazil 347.7 hectares compare
  4. 40 Montenegro 343.89 hectares compare
  5. 41 Suriname 342.73 hectares compare
  6. 42 Bangladesh 342 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 181 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is average area burnt per wildfire in United Kingdom?
Average area burnt per wildfire in United Kingdom was 346.97 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 346.97 hectares in 2026.
What is the lowest average area burnt per wildfire recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 123.07 hectares in 2014.
How does United Kingdom rank for average area burnt per wildfire?
United Kingdom ranks 39th out of 181 countries with data for 2026.
Is average area burnt per wildfire rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 134.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom 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.