Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Russia

Russia: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 17,645 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
17,645 hectares
Change on year
up 83.5%
World rank
9th
of 225 countries
All-time high
74,766 hectares
in 2020
All-time low
8,951 hectares
in 2016
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k2002201320242002: 12.6k hectares2003: 20.5k hectares2004: 9.8k hectares2005: 15.2k hectares2006: 14.8k hectares2007: 13.5k hectares2008: 10.2k hectares2009: 13.2k hectares2010: 19.1k hectares2011: 26.3k hectares2012: 59.1k hectares2013: 16.6k hectares2014: 11.3k hectares2015: 25.5k hectares2016: 9.0k hectares2017: 14.0k hectares2018: 14.2k hectares2019: 27.8k hectares2020: 74.8k hectares2021: 18.8k hectares2022: 18.3k hectares2023: 9.6k hectares2024: 17.6k 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 Russia stood at 17,645 hectares.

That represents a change of up 83.5% on the previous year and up 56.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Russia peaked at 74,766 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8,951 hectares, in 2016.

That places Russia 9th 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 13,722 hectares 9,831 hectares 20,521 hectares 8
2010s 22,279 hectares 8,951 hectares 59,096 hectares 10
2020s 27,824 hectares 9,617 hectares 74,766 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Russia

  1. 6 Congo 44,950 hectares compare
  2. 7 South Sudan 36,299 hectares compare
  3. 8 Botswana 19,706 hectares compare
  4. 10 Australia 17,001 hectares compare
  5. 11 Angola 15,885 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Russia

All data for Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Russia?
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Russia was 17,645 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 Russia?
The highest recorded value was 74,766 hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Russia?
The lowest recorded value was 8,951 hectares in 2016.
How does Russia rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
Russia ranks 9th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Russia?
Over the last ten years it is up 56.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Russia 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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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.