Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize
Belize: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 17,495 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Belize recorded 17,495 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2025.
The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and up 65.3% 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 75th 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.
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4,594 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 16,207 hectares | +252.8% |
| 2004 | 3,950 hectares | -75.6% |
| 2005 | 10,647 hectares | +169.6% |
| 2006 | 6,096 hectares | -42.7% |
| 2007 | 17,473 hectares | +186.6% |
| 2008 | 12,987 hectares | -25.7% |
| 2009 | 6,676 hectares | -48.6% |
| 2010 | 13,395 hectares | +100.6% |
| 2011 | 20,114 hectares | +50.2% |
| 2012 | 2,275 hectares | -88.7% |
| 2013 | 22,260 hectares | +878.3% |
| 2014 | 6,397 hectares | -71.3% |
| 2015 | 10,583 hectares | +65.4% |
| 2016 | 10,776 hectares | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 7,835 hectares | -27.3% |
| 2018 | 10,733 hectares | +37.0% |
| 2019 | 20,478 hectares | +90.8% |
| 2020 | 15,370 hectares | -24.9% |
| 2021 | 10,604 hectares | -31.0% |
| 2022 | 4,701 hectares | -55.7% |
| 2023 | 23,999 hectares | +410.5% |
| 2024 | 18,353 hectares | -23.5% |
| 2025 | 17,495 hectares | -4.7% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 17,495 hectares is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,669 hectares, 1.6× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Belize's 17,495 hectares is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2,758 hectares, 6.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Belize changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | +878.3% | 2,275 hectares | 22,260 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9,829 hectares | 3,950 hectares | 17,473 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 12,485 hectares | 2,275 hectares | 22,260 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,087 hectares | 4,701 hectares | 23,999 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More reference data data for Belize
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0139 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0337 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0813 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0041 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0813 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0467 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0206 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1856 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.399 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0225 (2050)
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 17,495 hectares in 2025, 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 75th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.3%. 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
Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.