Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Iceland

Iceland: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 42.93 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
42.93 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
140th
of 225 countries
All-time high
1,696 hectares
in 2006
All-time low
0 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

05001.0k1.5k2002201320242002: 0 hectares2003: 0 hectares2004: 0 hectares2005: 0 hectares2006: 1.7k hectares2007: 0 hectares2008: 0 hectares2009: 0 hectares2010: 0 hectares2011: 0 hectares2012: 0 hectares2013: 0 hectares2014: 0 hectares2015: 0 hectares2016: 0 hectares2017: 0 hectares2018: 0 hectares2019: 0 hectares2020: 0 hectares2021: 0 hectares2022: 0 hectares2023: 42.9 hectares2024: 42.9 hectares

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Iceland is 42.93 hectares, measured in 2024.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Iceland peaked at 1,696 hectares in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2002.

Iceland ranks 140th 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 211.97 hectares 0 hectares 1,696 hectares 8
2010s 0 hectares 0 hectares 0 hectares 10
2020s 17.17 hectares 0 hectares 42.93 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 137 French Guiana 64.4 hectares compare
  2. 137 New Zealand 64.4 hectares compare
  3. 137 Yemen 64.4 hectares compare
  4. 140 Jordan 42.93 hectares compare
  5. 140 Latvia 42.93 hectares compare
  6. 143 Kyrgyzstan 21.47 hectares compare
  7. 143 Puerto Rico 21.47 hectares compare
  8. 143 South Korea 21.47 hectares compare
  9. 143 Sri Lanka 21.47 hectares compare
  10. 143 Taiwan 21.47 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Iceland?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Iceland was 42.93 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 Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 1,696 hectares in 2006.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2002.
How does Iceland rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Iceland ranks 140th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Where does this Iceland 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.