Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Mauritania

Mauritania: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 204,162 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
204,162 hectares
Change on year
down 23.9%
World rank
45th
of 225 countries
All-time high
848,717 hectares
in 2007
All-time low
22,367 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

0200.0k400.0k600.0k800.0k2002201320242002: 92.8k hectares2003: 32.8k hectares2004: 264.5k hectares2005: 292.7k hectares2006: 330.4k hectares2007: 848.7k hectares2008: 374.1k hectares2009: 370.0k hectares2010: 645.3k hectares2011: 292.0k hectares2012: 283.7k hectares2013: 267.2k hectares2014: 36.1k hectares2015: 42.5k hectares2016: 160.7k hectares2017: 81.6k hectares2018: 22.4k hectares2019: 156.5k hectares2020: 157.7k hectares2021: 271.5k hectares2022: 156.4k hectares2023: 268.4k hectares2024: 204.2k hectares

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

Analysis

Mauritania recorded 204,162 hectares for area burned by wildfires by land cover type in 2024.

That represents a change of down 23.9% on the previous year and up 465.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Mauritania peaked at 848,717 hectares in 2007 and was at its lowest, 22,367 hectares, in 2018.

Mauritania ranks 45th 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 325,747 hectares 32,843 hectares 848,717 hectares 8
2010s 198,800 hectares 22,367 hectares 645,264 hectares 10
2020s 211,623 hectares 156,357 hectares 271,479 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Mauritania

  1. 42 Cambodia 272,466 hectares compare
  2. 43 Mongolia 260,510 hectares compare
  3. 44 Paraguay 227,817 hectares compare
  4. 46 Mexico 200,148 hectares compare
  5. 47 Iraq 184,478 hectares compare
  6. 48 Ukraine 179,862 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Mauritania

All data for Mauritania →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Mauritania?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Mauritania was 204,162 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 Mauritania?
The highest recorded value was 848,717 hectares in 2007.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Mauritania?
The lowest recorded value was 22,367 hectares in 2018.
How does Mauritania rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Mauritania ranks 45th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Mauritania?
Over the last ten years it is up 465.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Mauritania 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.