Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia
Zambia: Wildfire area burned by land cover type was 129,868 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia stood at 129,868 hectares. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 29.2% on the previous year and up 51.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia peaked at 129,868 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9,187 hectares, in 2023.
That places Zambia 1st out of 225 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 96,468 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 29,065 hectares | -69.9% |
| 2004 | 23,612 hectares | -18.8% |
| 2005 | 97,648 hectares | +313.5% |
| 2006 | 42,610 hectares | -56.4% |
| 2007 | 16,271 hectares | -61.8% |
| 2008 | 51,153 hectares | +214.4% |
| 2009 | 10,883 hectares | -78.7% |
| 2010 | 31,963 hectares | +193.7% |
| 2011 | 54,695 hectares | +71.1% |
| 2012 | 44,992 hectares | -17.7% |
| 2013 | 70,687 hectares | +57.1% |
| 2014 | 26,253 hectares | -62.9% |
| 2015 | 85,842 hectares | +227.0% |
| 2016 | 116,925 hectares | +36.2% |
| 2017 | 34,753 hectares | -70.3% |
| 2018 | 35,612 hectares | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 84,254 hectares | +136.6% |
| 2020 | 32,134 hectares | -61.9% |
| 2021 | 25,523 hectares | -20.6% |
| 2022 | 58,087 hectares | +127.6% |
| 2023 | 9,187 hectares | -84.2% |
| 2024 | 100,482 hectares | +993.7% |
| 2025 | 129,868 hectares | +29.2% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 129,868 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.93 hectares, 3025.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 129,868 hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 246.86 hectares, 526.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +993.7% | 9,187 hectares | 100,482 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45,964 hectares | 10,883 hectares | 97,648 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 58,598 hectares | 26,253 hectares | 116,925 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 59,214 hectares | 9,187 hectares | 129,868 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 2 Canada 51,776 hectares compare
- 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 39,841 hectares compare
- 4 South Sudan 20,886 hectares compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia?
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type in Zambia was 129,868 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 129,868 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,187 hectares in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type?
- Zambia ranks 1st out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wildfire area burned by land cover type rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 51.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.