Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada
Canada: Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year was 0.1674 in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada is 0.1674, measured in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 64.5% on the previous year and up 68.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada peaked at 0.9532 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0391, in 2020.
That places Canada 110th out of 236 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 0.1378 | — |
| 2013 | 0.2486 | +80.5% |
| 2014 | 0.28 | +12.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2613 | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 0.0993 | -62.0% |
| 2017 | 0.2587 | +160.6% |
| 2018 | 0.1839 | -28.9% |
| 2019 | 0.1343 | -27.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0391 | -70.9% |
| 2021 | 0.2858 | +630.3% |
| 2022 | 0.1113 | -61.1% |
| 2023 | 0.9532 | +756.7% |
| 2024 | 0.3297 | -65.4% |
| 2025 | 0.4711 | +42.9% |
| 2026 | 0.1674 | -64.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 0.1674 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0024, 70.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +756.7% | 0.1113 | 0.9532 |
| 2021 | +630.3% | 0.0391 | 0.2858 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.2005 | 0.0993 | 0.28 | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.3368 | 0.0391 | 0.9532 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada?
- Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Canada was 0.1674 in 2026, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9532 in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0391 in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- Canada ranks 110th out of 236 countries with data for 2026.
- Is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).