Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi
Malawi: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 923.03 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 923.03 hectares, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 46.9% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi peaked at 19,555 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 321.99 hectares, in 2002.
Malawi ranks 38th of 225 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 321.99 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 343.46 hectares | +6.7% |
| 2004 | 1,524 hectares | +343.7% |
| 2005 | 11,914 hectares | +681.7% |
| 2006 | 11,291 hectares | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 9,638 hectares | -14.6% |
| 2008 | 8,694 hectares | -9.8% |
| 2009 | 1,116 hectares | -87.2% |
| 2010 | 10,390 hectares | +830.8% |
| 2011 | 15,412 hectares | +48.3% |
| 2012 | 19,555 hectares | +26.9% |
| 2013 | 13,566 hectares | -30.6% |
| 2014 | 12,965 hectares | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 686.91 hectares | -94.7% |
| 2016 | 9,123 hectares | +1228.1% |
| 2017 | 12,085 hectares | +32.5% |
| 2018 | 11,270 hectares | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 3,606 hectares | -68.0% |
| 2020 | 9,102 hectares | +152.4% |
| 2021 | 8,286 hectares | -9.0% |
| 2022 | 901.57 hectares | -89.1% |
| 2023 | 901.57 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1,739 hectares | +92.9% |
| 2025 | 923.03 hectares | -46.9% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 923.03 hectares is above the median for low income countries, which is 558.11 hectares, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 923.03 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 246.86 hectares, 3.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +1228.1% | 686.91 hectares | 9,123 hectares |
| 2010 | +830.8% | 1,116 hectares | 10,390 hectares |
| 2005 | +681.7% | 1,524 hectares | 11,914 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5,605 hectares | 321.99 hectares | 11,914 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 10,866 hectares | 686.91 hectares | 19,555 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,642 hectares | 901.57 hectares | 9,102 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi?
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malawi was 923.03 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 19,555 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 321.99 hectares in 2002.
- How does Malawi rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Malawi ranks 38th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.