Annual number of wildfires in Laos
Laos: Annual number of wildfires was 6,492 wildfires in 2026. ▬ Flat
Annual number of wildfires in Laos, 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 Laos is 6,492 wildfires, measured in 2026.
That represents a change of up 18.6% on the previous year and down 34.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Laos peaked at 15,815 wildfires in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5,473 wildfires, in 2025.
That places Laos 20th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
Annual number of wildfires in Laos, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 8,366 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 9,022 wildfires | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 9,201 wildfires | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 9,630 wildfires | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 9,834 wildfires | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 6,668 wildfires | -32.2% |
| 2018 | 5,812 wildfires | -12.8% |
| 2019 | 11,615 wildfires | +99.8% |
| 2020 | 11,239 wildfires | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 8,612 wildfires | -23.4% |
| 2022 | 9,194 wildfires | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 15,815 wildfires | +72.0% |
| 2024 | 8,041 wildfires | -49.2% |
| 2025 | 5,473 wildfires | -31.9% |
| 2026 | 6,492 wildfires | +18.6% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 6,492 wildfires is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625 wildfires, 10.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 6,492 wildfires is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12 wildfires, 541.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8,768 wildfires | 5,812 wildfires | 11,615 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 9,267 wildfires | 5,473 wildfires | 15,815 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 17 China 7,671 wildfires compare
- 18 Thailand 6,898 wildfires compare
- 19 United States 6,880 wildfires compare
- 21 Madagascar 5,682 wildfires compare
- 22 South Africa 5,340 wildfires compare
- 23 Ethiopia 5,285 wildfires compare
More reference data data for Laos
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6615 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.913 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3021 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.64 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of wildfires in Laos?
- Annual number of wildfires in Laos was 6,492 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 15,815 wildfires in 2023.
- What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,473 wildfires in 2025.
- How does Laos rank for annual number of wildfires?
- Laos ranks 20th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Laos 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.