Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia
Zambia: Area burned by wildfires by land cover type was 4.08 million hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia, 2002–2024
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2024, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia stood at 4.08 million hectares.
That represents a change of down 6.1% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia peaked at 5.76 million hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3.40 million hectares, in 2020.
That places Zambia 9th out of 225 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.98 million hectares | 4.20 million hectares | 5.76 million hectares | 8 |
| 2010s | 4.40 million hectares | 3.54 million hectares | 4.97 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.98 million hectares | 3.40 million hectares | 4.35 million hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 6 Sudan 5.43 million hectares compare
- 7 Chad 4.80 million hectares compare
- 8 South Africa 4.08 million hectares compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 3.51 million hectares compare
- 11 Senegal 3.38 million hectares compare
- 12 Madagascar 3.37 million hectares compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia?
- Area burned by wildfires by land cover type in Zambia was 4.08 million 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.76 million hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest area burned by wildfires by land cover type recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.40 million hectares in 2020.
- How does Zambia rank for area burned by wildfires by land cover type?
- Zambia ranks 9th out of 225 countries with data for 2024.
- Is area burned by wildfires by land cover type rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.