Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Mexico

Mexico: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 11,699 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
11,699 hectares
Change on year
up 325.8%
World rank
12th
of 225 countries
All-time high
11,699 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
1,138 hectares
in 2014
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k2002201320242002: 2.6k hectares2003: 7.5k hectares2004: 1.4k hectares2005: 2.9k hectares2006: 1.2k hectares2007: 4.4k hectares2008: 1.4k hectares2009: 3.3k hectares2010: 1.3k hectares2011: 3.4k hectares2012: 2.0k hectares2013: 2.9k hectares2014: 1.1k hectares2015: 2.8k hectares2016: 2.4k hectares2017: 6.5k hectares2018: 4.0k hectares2019: 2.6k hectares2020: 2.7k hectares2021: 2.4k hectares2022: 2.3k hectares2023: 2.7k hectares2024: 11.7k hectares

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

Analysis

Mexico recorded 11,699 hectares for wildfire area burned by land cover type in 2024. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 325.8% on the previous year and up 928.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Mexico peaked at 11,699 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,138 hectares, in 2014.

That places Mexico 12th 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 3,086 hectares 1,181 hectares 7,492 hectares 8
2010s 2,898 hectares 1,138 hectares 6,526 hectares 10
2020s 4,388 hectares 2,340 hectares 11,699 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Mexico

  1. 9 Russia 17,645 hectares compare
  2. 10 Australia 17,001 hectares compare
  3. 11 Angola 15,885 hectares compare
  4. 13 Madagascar 11,291 hectares compare
  5. 14 Kazakhstan 9,230 hectares compare
  6. 15 United States 8,930 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Mexico

All data for Mexico →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Mexico?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Mexico was 11,699 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 Mexico?
The highest recorded value was 11,699 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Mexico?
The lowest recorded value was 1,138 hectares in 2014.
How does Mexico rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
Mexico ranks 12th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Mexico?
Over the last ten years it is up 928.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Mexico 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 — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.