Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Malaysia

Malaysia: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 3,993 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
3,993 hectares
Change on year
up 1,760.0%
World rank
97th
of 225 countries
All-time high
6,998 hectares
in 2005
All-time low
0 hectares
in 2022
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

02.0k4.0k6.0k2002201320242002: 4.8k hectares2003: 2.3k hectares2004: 4.2k hectares2005: 7.0k hectares2006: 1.2k hectares2007: 1.6k hectares2008: 858.6 hectares2009: 4.9k hectares2010: 2.8k hectares2011: 1.3k hectares2012: 1.3k hectares2013: 1.2k hectares2014: 5.6k hectares2015: 3.4k hectares2016: 3.3k hectares2017: 42.9 hectares2018: 472.2 hectares2019: 2.3k hectares2020: 450.8 hectares2021: 515.2 hectares2022: 0 hectares2023: 214.7 hectares2024: 4.0k hectares

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

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 3,993 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2024.

That represents a change of up 1,760.0% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Malaysia peaked at 6,998 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0 hectares, in 2022.

Malaysia ranks 97th 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 3,357 hectares 858.63 hectares 6,998 hectares 8
2010s 2,170 hectares 42.93 hectares 5,560 hectares 10
2020s 1,035 hectares 0 hectares 3,993 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 94 Panama 5,130 hectares compare
  2. 95 Montenegro 4,680 hectares compare
  3. 96 Serbia 4,229 hectares compare
  4. 98 Cuba 3,735 hectares compare
  5. 99 Georgia 3,585 hectares compare
  6. 100 Romania 3,091 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Malaysia?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Malaysia was 3,993 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 6,998 hectares in 2005.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 0 hectares in 2022.
How does Malaysia rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Malaysia ranks 97th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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.