Tree cover loss from wildfires in India

India: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 1,854 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,854 hectares
Change on year
up 319.7%
World rank
41st
of 152 countries
All-time high
1,854 hectares
in 2024
All-time low
75.71 hectares
in 2003
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss from wildfires in India, 2001–2024

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2001201220242001: 265 hectares2002: 281.3 hectares2003: 75.7 hectares2004: 417.8 hectares2005: 215.7 hectares2006: 345.7 hectares2007: 336.3 hectares2008: 679.4 hectares2009: 483 hectares2010: 203.2 hectares2011: 289 hectares2012: 485.3 hectares2013: 94.3 hectares2014: 275.5 hectares2015: 78.1 hectares2016: 91.4 hectares2017: 145.2 hectares2018: 272.9 hectares2019: 318.1 hectares2020: 231.7 hectares2021: 197.8 hectares2022: 256.7 hectares2023: 441.6 hectares2024: 1.9k hectares

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for tree cover loss from wildfires in India is 1,854 hectares, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 319.7% on the previous year and up 572.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in India peaked at 1,854 hectares in 2024 and was at its lowest, 75.71 hectares, in 2003.

India ranks 41st of 152 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 344.43 hectares 75.71 hectares 679.35 hectares 9
2010s 225.28 hectares 78.07 hectares 485.28 hectares 10
2020s 596.25 hectares 197.81 hectares 1,854 hectares 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 38 Italy 2,467 hectares compare
  2. 39 Mozambique 2,284 hectares compare
  3. 40 Chad 1,874 hectares compare
  4. 42 Tanzania 1,698 hectares compare
  5. 43 France 1,533 hectares compare
  6. 44 Colombia 1,477 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss from wildfires in India?
Tree cover loss from wildfires in India was 1,854 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 1,854 hectares in 2024.
What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 75.71 hectares in 2003.
How does India rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
India ranks 41st out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 572.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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).