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 13.47 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 13.47 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 29.5% on the previous year and down 56.4% 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, 13.47, in 2026.
That places Zambia 2nd 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 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 | 13.47 | -29.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 13.47 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.15, 11.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 13.47 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.47, 9.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 29.67 | 27.31 | 31.54 | 8 |
| 2020s | 22.35 | 13.47 | 27.05 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More reference data data for Zambia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 (2026)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0941 (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 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Urban area long term, annual growth rate 3.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban area long term, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban area long term, per capita 0.0001 units per person (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 13.47 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 13.47 in 2026.
- How does Zambia rank for share of the total land area burnt by wildfires each year?
- Zambia ranks 2nd out of 236 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 56.4%. 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).