Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 1,224 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,224 hectares
Change on year
down 61.0%
World rank
109th
of 225 countries
All-time high
92,883 hectares
in 2003
All-time low
321.99 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan, 2002–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2002201320242002: 23.8k hectares2003: 92.9k hectares2004: 22.0k hectares2005: 10.1k hectares2006: 6.5k hectares2007: 4.3k hectares2008: 46.2k hectares2009: 4.0k hectares2010: 46.9k hectares2011: 3.0k hectares2012: 5.6k hectares2013: 5.7k hectares2014: 1.0k hectares2015: 1.5k hectares2016: 3.1k hectares2017: 665.4 hectares2018: 322 hectares2019: 14.2k hectares2020: 17.0k hectares2021: 7.6k hectares2022: 1.3k hectares2023: 3.1k hectares2024: 1.2k hectares

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2024, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan stood at 1,224 hectares.

That represents a change of down 61.0% on the previous year and up 21.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan peaked at 92,883 hectares in 2003 and was at its lowest, 321.99 hectares, in 2018.

Afghanistan ranks 109th of 225 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 26,210 hectares 4,014 hectares 92,883 hectares 8
2010s 8,181 hectares 321.99 hectares 46,860 hectares 10
2020s 6,049 hectares 1,224 hectares 17,001 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 106 Israel 1,481 hectares compare
  2. 107 Bhutan 1,331 hectares compare
  3. 108 Italy 1,224 hectares compare
  4. 110 Armenia 1,095 hectares compare
  5. 111 Bahamas 1,052 hectares compare
  6. 112 France 1,052 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Afghanistan was 1,224 hectares in 2024, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 92,883 hectares in 2003.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 321.99 hectares in 2018.
How does Afghanistan rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Afghanistan ranks 109th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Area burned by wildfires by land cover type. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
225 places, 5,175 data points, 2002–2024
Last refreshed

Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.