Annual number of fires in Zambia
Zambia: Annual number of fires was 30,784 in 2026. ▼ Falling
Latest (2026)
30,784
Change on year
down 10.4%
World rank
3rd
of 248 countries
All-time high
61,102
in 2012
All-time low
30,784
in 2026
Years of data
15
2012–2026
Annual number of fires in Zambia, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual number of fires in Zambia is 30,784, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.4% on the previous year and down 48.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual number of fires in Zambia peaked at 61,102 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 30,784, in 2026.
Zambia ranks 3rd of 248 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Annual number of fires in Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 61,102 | — |
| 2013 | 60,651 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 55,415 | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 60,052 | +8.4% |
| 2016 | 59,717 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 53,806 | -9.9% |
| 2018 | 57,157 | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 55,576 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 48,820 | -12.2% |
| 2021 | 47,992 | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 52,757 | +9.9% |
| 2023 | 50,946 | -3.4% |
| 2024 | 38,578 | -24.3% |
| 2025 | 34,342 | -11.0% |
| 2026 | 30,784 | -10.4% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 30,784 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 625, 49.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 30,784 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,448, 21.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 57,934 | 53,806 | 61,102 | 8 |
| 2020s | 43,460 | 30,784 | 52,757 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 1 Democratic Republic of Congo 67,267 compare
- 2 Angola 55,389 compare
- 4 Australia 26,226 compare
- 5 Indonesia 24,826 compare
- 6 Mozambique 24,523 compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0941 (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 (2026)
- Country level monthly temperature anomalies 0.3261 (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual number of fires in Zambia?
- Annual number of fires in Zambia was 30,784 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual number of fires recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 61,102 in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual number of fires recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30,784 in 2026.
- How does Zambia rank for annual number of fires?
- Zambia ranks 3rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual number of fires rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual number of fires. 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).