Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 39,841 hectares in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo is 39,841 hectares, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.8% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 52,377 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17,860 hectares, in 2007.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 3rd out of 225 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 48,234 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 42,524 hectares | -11.8% |
| 2004 | 37,007 hectares | -13.0% |
| 2005 | 42,309 hectares | +14.3% |
| 2006 | 25,458 hectares | -39.8% |
| 2007 | 17,860 hectares | -29.8% |
| 2008 | 29,687 hectares | +66.2% |
| 2009 | 27,455 hectares | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 42,953 hectares | +56.5% |
| 2011 | 41,794 hectares | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 29,215 hectares | -30.1% |
| 2013 | 44,799 hectares | +53.3% |
| 2014 | 33,680 hectares | -24.8% |
| 2015 | 43,082 hectares | +27.9% |
| 2016 | 52,377 hectares | +21.6% |
| 2017 | 35,655 hectares | -31.9% |
| 2018 | 33,036 hectares | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 41,000 hectares | +24.1% |
| 2020 | 32,800 hectares | -20.0% |
| 2021 | 41,751 hectares | +27.3% |
| 2022 | 49,908 hectares | +19.5% |
| 2023 | 27,004 hectares | -45.9% |
| 2024 | 47,912 hectares | +77.4% |
| 2025 | 39,841 hectares | -16.8% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 39,841 hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 558.11 hectares, 71.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 39,841 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 246.86 hectares, 161.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33,817 hectares | 17,860 hectares | 48,234 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 39,759 hectares | 29,215 hectares | 52,377 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 39,869 hectares | 27,004 hectares | 49,908 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More reference data data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Manure Management 220.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 3,924 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 3,062 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 9.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure left on Pasture 1,764 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure applied to Soils 313.43 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0.2179 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 313.43 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Enteric 3,057 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Democratic Republic of Congo was 39,841 hectares in 2025, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 52,377 hectares in 2016.
- What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,860 hectares in 2007.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 3rd out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wildfire area burned by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Area of other land types burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes wetlands, urban areas, snow and ice, bare ground, and water bodies.