Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Portugal

Portugal: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 6,053 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
6,053 hectares
Change on year
up 21.6%
World rank
92nd
of 225 countries
All-time high
147,084 hectares
in 2003
All-time low
1,524 hectares
in 2008
Years of data
23
2002–2024

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

050.0k100.0k150.0k2002201320242002: 34.3k hectares2003: 147.1k hectares2004: 64.7k hectares2005: 48.7k hectares2006: 15.4k hectares2007: 4.8k hectares2008: 1.5k hectares2009: 28.6k hectares2010: 42.8k hectares2011: 21.9k hectares2012: 37.4k hectares2013: 46.0k hectares2014: 3.9k hectares2015: 10.8k hectares2016: 21.6k hectares2017: 71.8k hectares2018: 14.8k hectares2019: 2.6k hectares2020: 9.3k hectares2021: 9.2k hectares2022: 16.2k hectares2023: 5.0k hectares2024: 6.1k 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 Portugal is 6,053 hectares, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of up 21.6% on the previous year and up 54.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Portugal peaked at 147,084 hectares in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1,524 hectares, in 2008.

Portugal ranks 92nd 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 43,146 hectares 1,524 hectares 147,084 hectares 8
2010s 27,360 hectares 2,576 hectares 71,825 hectares 10
2020s 9,132 hectares 4,980 hectares 16,185 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 89 Turkmenistan 7,019 hectares compare
  2. 90 Eritrea 6,633 hectares compare
  3. 91 Burundi 6,569 hectares compare
  4. 93 Saudi Arabia 5,324 hectares compare
  5. 94 Panama 5,130 hectares compare
  6. 95 Montenegro 4,680 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 225 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Portugal?
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Portugal was 6,053 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 Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 147,084 hectares in 2003.
What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 1,524 hectares in 2008.
How does Portugal rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
Portugal ranks 92nd out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Portugal 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.