Annual number of wildfires in Lesotho
Lesotho: Annual number of wildfires was 23 wildfires in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual number of wildfires in Lesotho, 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 Lesotho is 23 wildfires, measured in 2026.
The figure is up 21.1% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Lesotho peaked at 239 wildfires in 2013 and was at its lowest, 19 wildfires, in 2025.
That places Lesotho 121st out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual number of wildfires in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 25 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 239 wildfires | +856.0% |
| 2014 | 223 wildfires | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 81 wildfires | -63.7% |
| 2016 | 20 wildfires | -75.3% |
| 2017 | 95 wildfires | +375.0% |
| 2018 | 43 wildfires | -54.7% |
| 2019 | 198 wildfires | +360.5% |
| 2020 | 72 wildfires | -63.6% |
| 2021 | 111 wildfires | +54.2% |
| 2022 | 93 wildfires | -16.2% |
| 2023 | 170 wildfires | +82.8% |
| 2024 | 185 wildfires | +8.8% |
| 2025 | 19 wildfires | -89.7% |
| 2026 | 23 wildfires | +21.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 23 wildfires is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625 wildfires, 4% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 23 wildfires is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 2% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual number of wildfires in Lesotho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +856.0% | 25 wildfires | 239 wildfires |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 115.5 wildfires | 20 wildfires | 239 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 96.14 wildfires | 19 wildfires | 185 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More reference data data for Lesotho
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0331 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5388 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0101 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1115 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0549 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of wildfires in Lesotho?
- Annual number of wildfires in Lesotho was 23 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 239 wildfires in 2013.
- What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 19 wildfires in 2025.
- How does Lesotho rank for annual number of wildfires?
- Lesotho ranks 121st out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.