Annual number of wildfires in Uganda
Uganda: Annual number of wildfires was 2,871 wildfires in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual number of wildfires in Uganda, 2012–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in wildfires.
Analysis
Uganda recorded 2,871 wildfires for annual number of wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 41.1% on the previous year and down 77.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of wildfires in Uganda peaked at 12,573 wildfires in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2,871 wildfires, in 2026.
That places Uganda 33rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual number of wildfires in Uganda, year by year
| Year | wildfires | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 8,993 wildfires | — |
| 2013 | 11,142 wildfires | +23.9% |
| 2014 | 8,257 wildfires | -25.9% |
| 2015 | 10,751 wildfires | +30.2% |
| 2016 | 12,573 wildfires | +16.9% |
| 2017 | 9,586 wildfires | -23.8% |
| 2018 | 6,242 wildfires | -34.9% |
| 2019 | 5,608 wildfires | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 7,961 wildfires | +42.0% |
| 2021 | 8,554 wildfires | +7.4% |
| 2022 | 5,116 wildfires | -40.2% |
| 2023 | 6,063 wildfires | +18.5% |
| 2024 | 3,986 wildfires | -34.3% |
| 2025 | 4,877 wildfires | +22.4% |
| 2026 | 2,871 wildfires | -41.1% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 2,871 wildfires is above the median for low income countries, which is 754 wildfires, 3.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 2,871 wildfires is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,344 wildfires, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9,144 wildfires | 5,608 wildfires | 12,573 wildfires | 8 |
| 2020s | 5,633 wildfires | 2,871 wildfires | 8,554 wildfires | 7 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More reference data data for Uganda
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.95 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4214 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 29.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 42.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.29 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of wildfires in Uganda?
- Annual number of wildfires in Uganda was 2,871 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 12,573 wildfires in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual number of wildfires recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,871 wildfires in 2026.
- How does Uganda rank for annual number of wildfires?
- Uganda ranks 33rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of wildfires rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 77.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda 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.