Tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo

Congo: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 40,994 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
40,994 hectares
Change on year
up 1,263.2%
World rank
15th
of 152 countries
All-time high
40,994 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
135.29 hectares
in 2008
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo, 2001–2024

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k2001201220242001: 844.5 hectares2002: 286.6 hectares2003: 234 hectares2004: 254.3 hectares2005: 426.7 hectares2006: 577.9 hectares2007: 597.7 hectares2008: 135.3 hectares2009: 167.8 hectares2010: 1.6k hectares2011: 751.6 hectares2012: 1.3k hectares2013: 1.9k hectares2014: 1.4k hectares2015: 1.9k hectares2016: 34.1k hectares2017: 1.0k hectares2018: 3.3k hectares2019: 1.8k hectares2020: 2.9k hectares2021: 2.8k hectares2022: 4.1k hectares2023: 3.0k hectares2024: 41.0k hectares

Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

In 2024, tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo stood at 40,994 hectares. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1,263.2% on the previous year and up 2,793.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo peaked at 40,994 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 135.29 hectares, in 2008.

That places Congo 15th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 391.64 hectares 135.29 hectares 844.5 hectares 9
2010s 4,899 hectares 751.62 hectares 34,075 hectares 10
2020s 10,765 hectares 2,764 hectares 40,994 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 12 Guatemala 50,585 hectares compare
  2. 13 Venezuela 48,258 hectares compare
  3. 14 Peru 41,994 hectares compare
  4. 16 Ukraine 37,381 hectares compare
  5. 17 Argentina 36,956 hectares compare
  6. 18 China 32,898 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo?
Tree cover loss from wildfires in Congo was 40,994 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Congo?
The highest recorded value was 40,994 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 135.29 hectares in 2008.
How does Congo rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
Congo ranks 15th out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,793.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Congo data come from?
The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by 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).

About this data

Indicator
Tree cover loss from wildfires
Unit
hectares
Source
Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
152 places, 3,353 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

Tree cover loss due to fire with no visible human conversion or agricultural activity afterward. Fires may be started by natural causes (e.g. lightning) or may be related to human activities (accidental or deliberate).