Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 18,010 hectares in 2024. ▲ Rising
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sierra Leone, 2002–2024
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 Sierra Leone is 18,010 hectares, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 16.2% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sierra Leone peaked at 19,534 hectares in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2,812 hectares, in 2002.
That places Sierra Leone 76th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6,520 hectares | 2,812 hectares | 12,858 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 15,447 hectares | 5,109 hectares | 19,534 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 14,889 hectares | 7,191 hectares | 19,255 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1247 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8874 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2824 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.1314 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.1178 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 771.75 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sierra Leone?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sierra Leone was 18,010 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 Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 19,534 hectares in 2017.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,812 hectares in 2002.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Sierra Leone ranks 76th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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
Area of shrubland and grassland burnt by wildfires each year, in hectares. Includes open and closed shrublands and grasslands without a significant tree cover.