Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Nepal

Nepal: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 12,686 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
12,686 hectares
Change on year
up 17.3%
World rank
83rd
of 225 countries
All-time high
16,207 hectares
in 2016
All-time low
1,224 hectares
in 2002
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

05.0k10.0k15.0k2002201320242002: 1.2k hectares2003: 3.9k hectares2004: 11.3k hectares2005: 5.2k hectares2006: 6.4k hectares2007: 5.4k hectares2008: 4.0k hectares2009: 11.5k hectares2010: 7.3k hectares2011: 5.4k hectares2012: 6.2k hectares2013: 5.9k hectares2014: 6.0k hectares2015: 1.7k hectares2016: 16.2k hectares2017: 5.5k hectares2018: 6.3k hectares2019: 4.7k hectares2020: 6.1k hectares2021: 14.9k hectares2022: 4.1k hectares2023: 10.8k hectares2024: 12.7k 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 Nepal is 12,686 hectares, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 17.3% on the previous year and up 111.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Nepal peaked at 16,207 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1,224 hectares, in 2002.

Nepal ranks 83rd 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 6,120 hectares 1,224 hectares 11,549 hectares 8
2010s 6,521 hectares 1,739 hectares 16,207 hectares 10
2020s 9,707 hectares 4,121 hectares 14,854 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 80 Ecuador 13,781 hectares compare
  2. 81 Azerbaijan 13,502 hectares compare
  3. 82 Somalia 13,330 hectares compare
  4. 84 Suriname 12,236 hectares compare
  5. 85 Philippines 12,107 hectares compare
  6. 86 Bosnia and Herzegovina 7,985 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Nepal?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Nepal was 12,686 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 Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 16,207 hectares in 2016.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 1,224 hectares in 2002.
How does Nepal rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Nepal ranks 83rd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is up 111.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nepal 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.