Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Ghana

Ghana: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 8,908 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
8,908 hectares
Change on year
up 145.6%
World rank
16th
of 225 countries
All-time high
8,908 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
622.51 hectares
in 2008
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Ghana, 2002–2024

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k2002201320242002: 923 hectares2003: 1.0k hectares2004: 1.2k hectares2005: 3.0k hectares2006: 1.3k hectares2007: 837.2 hectares2008: 622.5 hectares2009: 1.6k hectares2010: 2.9k hectares2011: 6.3k hectares2012: 6.3k hectares2013: 8.8k hectares2014: 2.6k hectares2015: 2.6k hectares2016: 1.9k hectares2017: 1.5k hectares2018: 837.2 hectares2019: 1.1k hectares2020: 3.5k hectares2021: 2.7k hectares2022: 3.9k hectares2023: 3.6k hectares2024: 8.9k hectares

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 Ghana is 8,908 hectares, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

The figure is up 145.6% on the previous year and up 240.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Ghana peaked at 8,908 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 622.51 hectares, in 2008.

That places Ghana 16th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,304 hectares 622.51 hectares 2,962 hectares 8
2010s 3,477 hectares 837.17 hectares 8,801 hectares 10
2020s 4,542 hectares 2,748 hectares 8,908 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 13 Madagascar 11,291 hectares compare
  2. 14 Kazakhstan 9,230 hectares compare
  3. 15 United States 8,930 hectares compare
  4. 17 Venezuela 7,728 hectares compare
  5. 18 Argentina 7,084 hectares compare
  6. 19 Cambodia 5,646 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Ghana?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Ghana was 8,908 hectares in 2024, 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 Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 8,908 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 622.51 hectares in 2008.
How does Ghana rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
Ghana ranks 16th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is up 240.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ghana 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Wildfire area burned by land cover type
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
225 places, 5,175 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

Area of other land types burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes wetlands, urban areas, snow and ice, bare ground, and water bodies.