Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Zambia
Zambia: Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year was 5.35 in 2026. ▼ Falling
Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Zambia, 2012–2026
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 5.35 for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 72.0% on the previous year and down 82.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Zambia peaked at 31.54 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.35, in 2026.
That places Zambia 14th out of 229 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 31.11 | — |
| 2013 | 31.16 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 28.05 | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 31.54 | +12.4% |
| 2016 | 30.91 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 28.29 | -8.5% |
| 2018 | 27.31 | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 28.96 | +6.0% |
| 2020 | 25.81 | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 24.24 | -6.1% |
| 2022 | 27.05 | +11.6% |
| 2023 | 25.24 | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 21.49 | -14.9% |
| 2025 | 19.11 | -11.1% |
| 2026 | 5.35 | -72.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 29.67 | 27.31 | 31.54 | 8 |
| 2020s | 21.18 | 5.35 | 27.05 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 11 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.32 compare
- 12 Senegal 6.04 compare
- 13 Guinea-Bissau 5.49 compare
- 15 Thailand 5.2 compare
- 16 Togo 3.68 compare
- 17 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 3.27 compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 (2026)
- Country level monthly temperature anomalies 0.3261 (2026)
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 19.51 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 19.51 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 19.51 (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Zambia?
- Share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year in Zambia was 5.35 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 31.54 in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.35 in 2026.
- How does Zambia rank for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- Zambia ranks 14th out of 229 countries with data for 2026.
- Is share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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).