Annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual number of wildfires was 106 wildfires in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in wildfires.
Analysis
In 2026, annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka stood at 106 wildfires.
The figure is up 11.6% on the previous year and down 67.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka peaked at 433 wildfires in 2012 and was at its lowest, 71 wildfires, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 89th of 248 countries on this measure, 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 433 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 335 wildfires | -22.6% |
| 2014 | 313 wildfires | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 141 wildfires | -55.0% |
| 2016 | 321 wildfires | +127.7% |
| 2017 | 136 wildfires | -57.6% |
| 2018 | 227 wildfires | +66.9% |
| 2019 | 236 wildfires | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 194 wildfires | -17.8% |
| 2021 | 82 wildfires | -57.7% |
| 2022 | 127 wildfires | +54.9% |
| 2023 | 211 wildfires | +66.1% |
| 2024 | 71 wildfires | -66.4% |
| 2025 | 95 wildfires | +33.8% |
| 2026 | 106 wildfires | +11.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 106 wildfires is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 105.5 wildfires, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 106 wildfires is below the median for South Asia, which is 263.5 wildfires, 40% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 267.75 wildfires | 136 wildfires | 433 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 126.57 wildfires | 71 wildfires | 211 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka?
- Annual number of wildfires in Sri Lanka was 106 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 433 wildfires in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 71 wildfires in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual number of wildfires?
- Sri Lanka ranks 89th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.