Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per square kilometre by country
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Countries reporting
173
Highest
21.94 hectares per square kilometre
Senegal
Lowest
0 hectares per square kilometre
Vanuatu
Median
0.0421 hectares per square kilometre
Years covered
22
2002–2023
Data points
4,504
What the numbers show
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per square kilometre is currently reported for 173 countries. The highest value is 21.94 hectares per square kilometre in Senegal; the lowest is 0 hectares per square kilometre in Vanuatu.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.0421 hectares per square kilometre, and the mean is 1.18 hectares per square kilometre.
Over the past decade 69 countries rose and 74 fell. The largest increase was in Egypt (up 11,873.7%), and the largest decrease in Comoros (down 100.0%).
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type, per square kilometre: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senegal | 21.94 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 15.7% | flat |
| 2 | Botswana | 18.7 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 163.5% | volatile |
| 3 | Gambia | 14.95 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 5.9% | flat |
| 4 | South Sudan | 14.2 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 5 | Ghana | 11.74 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 26.0% | flat |
| 6 | Angola | 10.51 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 7 | Burkina Faso | 9.21 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.5% | falling |
| 8 | Australia | 8.72 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 189.9% | volatile |
| 9 | Zambia | 5.84 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 10 | Benin | 5.73 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 21.5% | falling |
| 11 | Congo | 5.15 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 14.5% | flat |
| 12 | Mali | 4.83 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 13 | Madagascar | 4.47 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.1% | falling |
| 14 | Togo | 4.4 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 38.5% | falling |
| 15 | South Africa | 4.32 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 54.2% | falling |
| 16 | Zimbabwe | 4.31 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 17 | Chad | 4.29 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 18 | Central African Republic | 3.62 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 19 | Nigeria | 3.58 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 24.5% | falling |
| 20 | Sudan | 3.58 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 21 | Mozambique | 3.48 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 19.0% | falling |
| 22 | Namibia | 2.89 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 35.3% | volatile |
| 23 | Tanzania | 2.45 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 24.7% | falling |
| 24 | Uganda | 2.43 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 27.2% | falling |
| 25 | Venezuela | 2.17 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 38.9% | rising |
| 26 | Eswatini | 1.89 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 36.3% | falling |
| 27 | Guinea | 1.71 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 28 | Cambodia | 1.25 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 29 | Mongolia | 1.24 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 104.7% | volatile |
| 30 | Rwanda | 1.22 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 4.0% | rising |
| 31 | Lesotho | 1.16 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.7% | volatile |
| 32 | Gabon | 1.09 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 20.7% | rising |
| 33 | Belize | 1.05 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 7.8% | volatile |
| 34 | Bolivia | 0.9987 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 215.8% | falling |
| 35 | Barbados | 0.9984 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 36 | Ethiopia | 0.9476 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 26.1% | falling |
| 37 | Nicaragua | 0.8434 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 143.0% | volatile |
| 38 | Cameroon | 0.7035 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 18.3% | flat |
| 39 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.6939 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 137.3% | falling |
| 40 | Malawi | 0.6603 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 41 | Greece | 0.5827 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 657.4% | volatile |
| 42 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.5771 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 50.8% | falling |
| 43 | Laos | 0.568 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 167.9% | volatile |
| 44 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.5679 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 21.6% | falling |
| 45 | Honduras | 0.5155 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 95.1% | volatile |
| 46 | Paraguay | 0.4643 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 51.4% | rising |
| 47 | Colombia | 0.4457 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 32.7% | flat |
| 48 | Brazil | 0.4382 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 49 | Myanmar | 0.4262 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 143.1% | rising |
| 50 | Guyana | 0.4221 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 73.0% | rising |
| 51 | Argentina | 0.3787 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.2% | falling |
| 52 | Eritrea | 0.3695 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 529.5% | volatile |
| 53 | Kazakhstan | 0.3529 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 18.9% | volatile |
| 54 | North Macedonia | 0.3302 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 68.0% | volatile |
| 55 | Niger | 0.3269 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 84.1% | rising |
| 56 | Guatemala | 0.2796 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 57 | Mauritania | 0.2604 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.4% | volatile |
| 58 | Iraq | 0.2338 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 224.6% | volatile |
| 59 | Sierra Leone | 0.2147 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 14.6% | rising |
| 60 | Costa Rica | 0.1656 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 61 | Mexico | 0.1568 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 45.5% | volatile |
| 62 | Cape Verde | 0.1385 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 63 | Panama | 0.1299 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 223.7% | volatile |
| 64 | Suriname | 0.1254 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 656.5% | volatile |
| 65 | Kenya | 0.1241 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 74.7% | volatile |
| 66 | Ukraine | 0.1191 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 499.9% | volatile |
| 67 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.113 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 15.6% | volatile |
| 68 | Russia | 0.1048 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 81.7% | falling |
| 69 | Cuba | 0.104 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 116.8% | volatile |
| 70 | Papua New Guinea | 0.0933 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 15.3% | falling |
| 71 | Thailand | 0.0903 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 38.6% | falling |
| 72 | Cyprus | 0.0883 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 60.0% | volatile |
| 73 | Syria | 0.086 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 163.8% | volatile |
| 74 | Vietnam | 0.0849 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 44.5% | rising |
| 75 | Haiti | 0.081 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 447.4% | volatile |
| 76 | Iran | 0.0806 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 197.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Burundi | 0.0769 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 48.9% | volatile |
| 78 | Nepal | 0.0755 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 83.9% | volatile |
| 79 | United States | 0.0708 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 5.3% | rising |
| 80 | Bulgaria | 0.0678 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 168.0% | volatile |
| 81 | Canada | 0.0647 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 402.9% | volatile |
| 82 | Armenia | 0.0639 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 82.7% | volatile |
| 83 | India | 0.0593 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 137.4% | volatile |
| 84 | Italy | 0.0592 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 931.6% | volatile |
| 85 | Portugal | 0.0544 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 89.2% | volatile |
| 86 | Egypt | 0.0491 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 11,873.7% | volatile |
| 87 | Uzbekistan | 0.0421 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 49.7% | rising |
| 88 | Indonesia | 0.0419 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 77.1% | volatile |
| 89 | Uruguay | 0.0412 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 90 | Hong Kong | 0.0409 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 77.8% | volatile |
| 91 | Pakistan | 0.0406 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 200.6% | rising |
| 92 | Chile | 0.0388 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 543.7% | volatile |
| 93 | Albania | 0.0376 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 94 | Azerbaijan | 0.0369 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 88.7% | volatile |
| 95 | Peru | 0.033 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 43.1% | volatile |
| 96 | Israel | 0.0317 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 72.9% | volatile |
| 97 | Philippines | 0.0256 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 98 | Turkmenistan | 0.0254 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 81.9% | volatile |
| 99 | Spain | 0.025 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 23.5% | volatile |
| 100 | Turkey | 0.0233 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 43.4% | volatile |
| 101 | China | 0.022 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 27.3% | falling |
| 102 | Bahamas | 0.015 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 83.7% | volatile |
| 103 | El Salvador | 0.0145 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 77.0% | volatile |
| 104 | Romania | 0.0136 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 16.6% | volatile |
| 105 | Morocco | 0.013 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 92.2% | volatile |
| 106 | Lebanon | 0.0126 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 107 | Ecuador | 0.0117 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 28.6% | volatile |
| 108 | Croatia | 0.0115 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 11.1% | volatile |
| 109 | Dominican Republic | 0.0107 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 79.6% | volatile |
| 110 | Bhutan | 0.0101 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 28.5% | volatile |
| 111 | Algeria | 0.0092 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 43.1% | volatile |
| 112 | East Timor | 0.0087 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 0.0% | volatile |
| 113 | North Korea | 0.008 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 68.5% | volatile |
| 114 | Jamaica | 0.0079 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 42.9% | volatile |
| 115 | Sri Lanka | 0.0073 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 88.4% | volatile |
| 116 | United Kingdom | 0.0072 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 117 | Fiji | 0.0059 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 25.0% | volatile |
| 118 | New Caledonia | 0.0059 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 119 | Somalia | 0.0053 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 120 | Tunisia | 0.0048 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 91.0% | volatile |
| 121 | Afghanistan | 0.0048 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 44.7% | volatile |
| 122 | Estonia | 0.0045 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 357.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Bangladesh | 0.0045 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 8.2% | volatile |
| 124 | Georgia | 0.004 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 90.6% | volatile |
| 125 | France | 0.0039 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 76.8% | volatile |
| 126 | Saudi Arabia | 0.0024 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 305.0% | volatile |
| 127 | Kuwait | 0.0024 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 128 | Lithuania | 0.0024 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 129 | South Korea | 0.002 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 199.5% | volatile |
| 130 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.0017 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 93.7% | volatile |
| 131 | Liberia | 0.0016 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 46.2% | volatile |
| 132 | Japan | 0.0015 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 78.2% | volatile |
| 133 | Tajikistan | 0.0012 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 97.9% | volatile |
| 134 | Belarus | 0.0011 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 89.6% | volatile |
| 135 | Malaysia | 0.0007 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 81.8% | volatile |
| 136 | Moldova | 0.0007 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 95.5% | volatile |
| 137 | Switzerland | 0.0005 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 138 | Yemen | 0.0005 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | up 160.0% | volatile |
| 139 | Austria | 0.0005 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 140 | Iceland | 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 141 | Germany | 0.0003 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 142 | Hungary | 0.0002 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 91.7% | volatile |
| 143 | New Zealand | 0.0002 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 95.0% | volatile |
| 144 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.0001 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 98.5% | volatile |
| 145 | Poland | 0.0001 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 90.9% | volatile |
| 146 | Belgium | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Brunei | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Comoros | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Czechia | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Djibouti | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Denmark | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Finland | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Grenada | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Greenland | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Ireland | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Jordan | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Libya | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Latvia | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Montenegro | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Mauritius | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Netherlands | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Norway | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Oman | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Puerto Rico | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Palestine | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Solomon Islands | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Serbia | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 146 | Slovakia | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Slovenia | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Sweden | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 146 | Vanuatu | 0 hectares per square kilometre | 2023 | — | volatile |
How this figure is calculated
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.