Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador
Ecuador: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 2,061 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador, 2002–2025
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador stood at 2,061 hectares.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 85.0% on the previous year and down 52.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador peaked at 13,781 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 171.73 hectares, in 2008.
Ecuador ranks 110th 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 Ecuador, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,803 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 2,383 hectares | +32.1% |
| 2004 | 1,674 hectares | -29.7% |
| 2005 | 10,561 hectares | +530.8% |
| 2006 | 3,907 hectares | -63.0% |
| 2007 | 3,413 hectares | -12.6% |
| 2008 | 171.73 hectares | -95.0% |
| 2009 | 6,697 hectares | +3800.0% |
| 2010 | 880.1 hectares | -86.9% |
| 2011 | 1,503 hectares | +70.7% |
| 2012 | 3,649 hectares | +142.9% |
| 2013 | 2,254 hectares | -38.2% |
| 2014 | 364.92 hectares | -83.8% |
| 2015 | 4,336 hectares | +1088.2% |
| 2016 | 5,903 hectares | +36.1% |
| 2017 | 2,769 hectares | -53.1% |
| 2018 | 2,232 hectares | -19.4% |
| 2019 | 4,637 hectares | +107.7% |
| 2020 | 5,195 hectares | +12.0% |
| 2021 | 3,284 hectares | -36.8% |
| 2022 | 12,128 hectares | +269.3% |
| 2023 | 2,898 hectares | -76.1% |
| 2024 | 13,781 hectares | +375.6% |
| 2025 | 2,061 hectares | -85.0% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 2,061 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,669 hectares, 19% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 2,061 hectares is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2,758 hectares, 75% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +3800.0% | 171.73 hectares | 6,697 hectares |
| 2015 | +1088.2% | 364.92 hectares | 4,336 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3,826 hectares | 171.73 hectares | 10,561 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 2,853 hectares | 364.92 hectares | 5,903 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,558 hectares | 2,061 hectares | 13,781 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More reference data data for Ecuador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1826 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9943 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Ecuador was 2,061 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 13,781 hectares in 2024.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 171.73 hectares in 2008.
- How does Ecuador rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Ecuador ranks 110th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.