Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Laos

Laos: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 90,328 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
90,328 hectares
Change on year
down 31.1%
World rank
54th
of 225 countries
All-time high
131,092 hectares
in 2023
All-time low
8,264 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k2002201320242002: 8.3k hectares2003: 18.9k hectares2004: 30.1k hectares2005: 34.3k hectares2006: 16.5k hectares2007: 48.6k hectares2008: 27.0k hectares2009: 34.1k hectares2010: 67.2k hectares2011: 27.6k hectares2012: 34.1k hectares2013: 48.9k hectares2014: 33.1k hectares2015: 60.3k hectares2016: 71.6k hectares2017: 35.0k hectares2018: 32.1k hectares2019: 64.2k hectares2020: 74.7k hectares2021: 34.1k hectares2022: 25.0k hectares2023: 131.1k hectares2024: 90.3k hectares

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

Analysis

Laos recorded 90,328 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2024.

That represents a change of down 31.1% on the previous year and up 173.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Laos peaked at 131,092 hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8,264 hectares, in 2002.

Laos ranks 54th of 225 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 27,216 hectares 8,264 hectares 48,556 hectares 8
2010s 47,412 hectares 27,562 hectares 71,610 hectares 10
2020s 71,043 hectares 25,029 hectares 131,092 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Laos

  1. 51 Peru 115,873 hectares compare
  2. 52 Canada 114,241 hectares compare
  3. 53 Pakistan 93,462 hectares compare
  4. 55 Eswatini 85,520 hectares compare
  5. 56 Malawi 80,669 hectares compare
  6. 57 India 75,324 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Laos

All data for Laos →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Laos?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Laos was 90,328 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 Laos?
The highest recorded value was 131,092 hectares in 2023.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Laos?
The lowest recorded value was 8,264 hectares in 2002.
How does Laos rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Laos ranks 54th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Laos?
Over the last ten years it is up 173.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Laos 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.