Wildfire area burned by land cover type in India

India: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 1,224 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,224 hectares
Change on year
up 159.1%
World rank
44th
of 225 countries
All-time high
2,018 hectares
in 2012
All-time low
85.86 hectares
in 2008
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2002201320242002: 1.6k hectares2003: 1.3k hectares2004: 386.4 hectares2005: 107.3 hectares2006: 343.5 hectares2007: 815.7 hectares2008: 85.9 hectares2009: 665.4 hectares2010: 386.4 hectares2011: 429.3 hectares2012: 2.0k hectares2013: 214.7 hectares2014: 515.2 hectares2015: 1.4k hectares2016: 1.0k hectares2017: 944.5 hectares2018: 644 hectares2019: 1.1k hectares2020: 558.1 hectares2021: 493.7 hectares2022: 837.2 hectares2023: 472.3 hectares2024: 1.2k hectares

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

Analysis

In 2024, wildfire area burned by land cover type in India stood at 1,224 hectares.

The figure is up 159.1% on the previous year and up 137.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in India peaked at 2,018 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 85.86 hectares, in 2008.

That places India 44th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 665.44 hectares 85.86 hectares 1,610 hectares 8
2010s 867.22 hectares 214.66 hectares 2,018 hectares 10
2020s 716.96 hectares 472.25 hectares 1,224 hectares 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 41 Honduras 1,438 hectares compare
  2. 42 Peru 1,374 hectares compare
  3. 43 Central African Republic 1,309 hectares compare
  4. 45 Myanmar 1,181 hectares compare
  5. 46 Guyana 1,181 hectares compare
  6. 47 Guinea-Bissau 1,030 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in India?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in India was 1,224 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 2,018 hectares in 2012.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 85.86 hectares in 2008.
How does India rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
India ranks 44th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 137.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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.