Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year was 9.53 in 2026. ▼ Falling
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2026, share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 9.53. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 27.7% on the previous year and down 55.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 21.59 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 9.53, in 2026.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 8th out of 236 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 16.43 | — |
| 2013 | 19.63 | +19.5% |
| 2014 | 17.75 | -9.6% |
| 2015 | 20.17 | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 21.59 | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 19.39 | -10.2% |
| 2018 | 17.99 | -7.2% |
| 2019 | 18.68 | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 20.12 | +7.7% |
| 2021 | 17.7 | -12.0% |
| 2022 | 18.84 | +6.4% |
| 2023 | 17.51 | -7.0% |
| 2024 | 16.02 | -8.5% |
| 2025 | 13.18 | -17.7% |
| 2026 | 9.53 | -27.7% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 9.53 is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.4, 6.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 9.53 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.47, 6.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 18.96 | 16.43 | 21.59 | 8 |
| 2020s | 16.13 | 9.53 | 20.12 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 5 Laos 11.16 compare
- 6 Sierra Leone 10.12 compare
- 7 Central African Republic 9.66 compare
- 9 Mozambique 9.41 compare
- 10 Gambia 8.64 compare
- 11 Cambodia 8.44 compare
More reference data data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 380.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 9.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - IPCC Agriculture 3,062 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 313.43 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Crop Residues 483.39 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Burning - Crop 57.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Agricultural 2,624 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0.2179 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure left on 1,764 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Democratic Republic of Congo was 9.53 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 21.59 in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.53 in 2026.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 8th out of 236 countries with data for 2026.
- Is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.
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