Annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Annual number of wildfires was 5,285 wildfires in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in wildfires.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia is 5,285 wildfires, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 37.4% on the previous year and down 68.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia peaked at 17,391 wildfires in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5,285 wildfires, in 2026.
That places Ethiopia 23rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 14,002 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 16,646 wildfires | +18.9% |
| 2014 | 14,482 wildfires | -13.0% |
| 2015 | 17,391 wildfires | +20.1% |
| 2016 | 16,743 wildfires | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 14,264 wildfires | -14.8% |
| 2018 | 9,232 wildfires | -35.3% |
| 2019 | 12,685 wildfires | +37.4% |
| 2020 | 15,090 wildfires | +19.0% |
| 2021 | 16,181 wildfires | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 12,240 wildfires | -24.4% |
| 2023 | 11,143 wildfires | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 8,453 wildfires | -24.1% |
| 2025 | 8,440 wildfires | -0.2% |
| 2026 | 5,285 wildfires | -37.4% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 5,285 wildfires is above the median for low income countries, which is 754 wildfires, 7.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 5,285 wildfires is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 3.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14,431 wildfires | 9,232 wildfires | 17,391 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 10,976 wildfires | 5,285 wildfires | 16,181 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6564 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 25.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 100.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.79 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.47 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia?
- Annual number of wildfires in Ethiopia was 5,285 wildfires in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual number of wildfires recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 17,391 wildfires in 2015.
- What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,285 wildfires in 2026.
- How does Ethiopia rank for annual number of wildfires?
- Ethiopia ranks 23rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual number of wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of wildfires. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.