Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malaysia

Malaysia: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 686.91 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
686.91 hectares
Change on year
up 166.7%
World rank
51st
of 225 countries
All-time high
1,610 hectares
in 2010
All-time low
42.93 hectares
in 2017
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

05001.0k1.5k2002201320242002: 751.3 hectares2003: 1.2k hectares2004: 1.3k hectares2005: 837.2 hectares2006: 257.6 hectares2007: 364.9 hectares2008: 279.1 hectares2009: 1.4k hectares2010: 1.6k hectares2011: 343.5 hectares2012: 214.7 hectares2013: 515.2 hectares2014: 923 hectares2015: 579.6 hectares2016: 987.4 hectares2017: 42.9 hectares2018: 450.8 hectares2019: 1.3k hectares2020: 322 hectares2021: 794.2 hectares2022: 171.7 hectares2023: 257.6 hectares2024: 686.9 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 Malaysia stood at 686.91 hectares.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 166.7% on the previous year and down 25.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malaysia peaked at 1,610 hectares in 2010 and was at its lowest, 42.93 hectares, in 2017.

That places Malaysia 51st 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 802.29 hectares 257.59 hectares 1,395 hectares 8
2010s 695.5 hectares 42.93 hectares 1,610 hectares 10
2020s 446.49 hectares 171.73 hectares 794.24 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 48 Cuba 987.43 hectares compare
  2. 49 Chad 837.17 hectares compare
  3. 50 Pakistan 772.77 hectares compare
  4. 52 Bahamas 558.11 hectares compare
  5. 52 Mali 558.11 hectares compare
  6. 54 Belize 515.18 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malaysia?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Malaysia was 686.91 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 1,610 hectares in 2010.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 42.93 hectares in 2017.
How does Malaysia rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
Malaysia ranks 51st out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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.