Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 364.92 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 364.92 hectares, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1,600.0% on the previous year and down 88.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka peaked at 11,592 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 21.47 hectares, in 2021.
That places Sri Lanka 125th out of 225 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 9,037 hectares | — |
| 2003 | 6,118 hectares | -32.3% |
| 2004 | 6,869 hectares | +12.3% |
| 2005 | 11,592 hectares | +68.8% |
| 2006 | 9,187 hectares | -20.7% |
| 2007 | 9,767 hectares | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 6,676 hectares | -31.6% |
| 2009 | 9,982 hectares | +49.5% |
| 2010 | 2,340 hectares | -76.6% |
| 2011 | 5,753 hectares | +145.9% |
| 2012 | 6,805 hectares | +18.3% |
| 2013 | 3,950 hectares | -42.0% |
| 2014 | 1,309 hectares | -66.8% |
| 2015 | 3,177 hectares | +142.6% |
| 2016 | 1,889 hectares | -40.5% |
| 2017 | 107.33 hectares | -94.3% |
| 2018 | 300.52 hectares | +180.0% |
| 2019 | 214.66 hectares | -28.6% |
| 2020 | 407.85 hectares | +90.0% |
| 2021 | 21.47 hectares | -94.7% |
| 2022 | 128.79 hectares | +500.0% |
| 2023 | 450.78 hectares | +250.0% |
| 2024 | 21.47 hectares | -95.2% |
| 2025 | 364.92 hectares | +1600.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 364.92 hectares is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10,669 hectares, 3% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 364.92 hectares is below the median for South Asia, which is 4,465 hectares, 8% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +1600.0% | 21.47 hectares | 364.92 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8,653 hectares | 6,118 hectares | 11,592 hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 2,584 hectares | 107.33 hectares | 6,805 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 232.55 hectares | 21.47 hectares | 450.78 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More reference data data for Sri Lanka
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.316 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1784 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.539 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1604 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9713 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Sri Lanka was 364.92 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 11,592 hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.47 hectares in 2021.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Sri Lanka ranks 125th out of 225 countries with data for 2025.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 88.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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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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.