Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan
Pakistan: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 117,912 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan, 2002–2025
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 Pakistan is 117,912 hectares, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.2% on the previous year and up 1,054.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan peaked at 117,912 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10,196 hectares, in 2019.
Pakistan ranks 48th 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.
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 13,566 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 11,377 hectares | -16.1% |
| 2004 | 23,870 hectares | +109.8% |
| 2005 | 27,970 hectares | +17.2% |
| 2006 | 19,341 hectares | -30.9% |
| 2007 | 19,405 hectares | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 43,211 hectares | +122.7% |
| 2009 | 41,129 hectares | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 19,255 hectares | -53.2% |
| 2011 | 15,670 hectares | -18.6% |
| 2012 | 29,880 hectares | +90.7% |
| 2013 | 10,411 hectares | -65.2% |
| 2014 | 26,746 hectares | +156.9% |
| 2015 | 10,218 hectares | -61.8% |
| 2016 | 51,132 hectares | +400.4% |
| 2017 | 21,165 hectares | -58.6% |
| 2018 | 29,644 hectares | +40.1% |
| 2019 | 10,196 hectares | -65.6% |
| 2020 | 32,070 hectares | +214.5% |
| 2021 | 39,132 hectares | +22.0% |
| 2022 | 50,745 hectares | +29.7% |
| 2023 | 31,297 hectares | -38.3% |
| 2024 | 93,462 hectares | +198.6% |
| 2025 | 117,912 hectares | +26.2% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 117,912 hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49,425 hectares, 2.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 117,912 hectares is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 343.45 hectares, 343.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24,984 hectares | 11,377 hectares | 43,211 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 22,432 hectares | 10,196 hectares | 51,132 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 60,770 hectares | 31,297 hectares | 117,912 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 91.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 260 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.79 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Pakistan was 117,912 hectares in 2025, 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 117,912 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,196 hectares in 2019.
- How does Pakistan rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Pakistan ranks 48th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,054.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.