Tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia
Australia: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 139,861 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia, 2001–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 139,861 for tree cover loss from wildfires in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.6% on the previous year and down 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia peaked at 2.26 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 38,156, in 2004.
That places Australia 6th out of 152 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 161,218 | — |
| 2002 | 242,558 | +50.5% |
| 2003 | 275,042 | +13.4% |
| 2004 | 38,156 | -86.1% |
| 2005 | 91,458 | +139.7% |
| 2006 | 94,961 | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 251,845 | +165.2% |
| 2008 | 118,415 | -53.0% |
| 2009 | 106,216 | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 215,197 | +102.6% |
| 2011 | 40,199 | -81.3% |
| 2012 | 64,442 | +60.3% |
| 2013 | 189,981 | +194.8% |
| 2014 | 195,382 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 187,301 | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 310,940 | +66.0% |
| 2017 | 134,930 | -56.6% |
| 2018 | 168,315 | +24.7% |
| 2019 | 1.57 million | +830.0% |
| 2020 | 2.26 million | +44.6% |
| 2021 | 192,987 | -91.5% |
| 2022 | 67,148 | -65.2% |
| 2023 | 149,672 | +122.9% |
| 2024 | 139,861 | -6.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 139,861 is above the median for high income countries, which is 152.21, 918.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Australia's 139,861 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 835.53, 167.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +830.0% | 168,315 | 1.57 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 153,319 | 38,156 | 275,042 | 9 |
| 2010s | 307,201 | 40,199 | 1.57 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 562,628 | 67,148 | 2.26 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia?
- Tree cover loss from wildfires in Australia was 139,861 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2.26 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 38,156 in 2004.
- How does Australia rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
- Australia ranks 6th out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
- Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Tree cover loss from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).