Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize

Belize: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 18,353 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
18,353 hectares
Change on year
down 23.5%
World rank
74th
of 225 countries
All-time high
23,999 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
2,275 hectares
in 2012
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k2002201320242002: 4.6k hectares2003: 16.2k hectares2004: 3.9k hectares2005: 10.6k hectares2006: 6.1k hectares2007: 17.5k hectares2008: 13.0k hectares2009: 6.7k hectares2010: 13.4k hectares2011: 20.1k hectares2012: 2.3k hectares2013: 22.3k hectares2014: 6.4k hectares2015: 10.6k hectares2016: 10.8k hectares2017: 7.8k hectares2018: 10.7k hectares2019: 20.5k hectares2020: 15.4k hectares2021: 10.6k hectares2022: 4.7k hectares2023: 24.0k hectares2024: 18.4k hectares

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

Analysis

Belize recorded 18,353 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2024.

The figure is down 23.5% on the previous year and up 186.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize peaked at 23,999 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2,275 hectares, in 2012.

Belize ranks 74th 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 9,829 hectares 3,950 hectares 17,473 hectares 8
2010s 12,485 hectares 2,275 hectares 22,260 hectares 10
2020s 14,605 hectares 4,701 hectares 23,999 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Belize

  1. 71 Greece 22,646 hectares compare
  2. 72 Chile 19,985 hectares compare
  3. 73 Bulgaria 19,899 hectares compare
  4. 75 Indonesia 18,074 hectares compare
  5. 76 Sierra Leone 18,010 hectares compare
  6. 77 Albania 16,636 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Belize

All data for Belize →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize was 18,353 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 Belize?
The highest recorded value was 23,999 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Belize?
The lowest recorded value was 2,275 hectares in 2012.
How does Belize rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Belize ranks 74th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Belize?
Over the last ten years it is up 186.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belize 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.