Tree cover loss from wildfires in Malaysia

Malaysia: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 4,251 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4,251 hectares
Change on year
up 133.6%
World rank
31st
of 152 countries
All-time high
15,204 hectares
in 2016
All-time low
640.44 hectares
in 2008
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss from wildfires in Malaysia, 2001–2024

05.0k10.0k15.0k2001201220242001: 964.4 hectares2002: 803.9 hectares2003: 790.3 hectares2004: 1.7k hectares2005: 2.3k hectares2006: 1.1k hectares2007: 1.5k hectares2008: 640.4 hectares2009: 2.9k hectares2010: 1.5k hectares2011: 1.3k hectares2012: 3.1k hectares2013: 1.9k hectares2014: 10.1k hectares2015: 5.4k hectares2016: 15.2k hectares2017: 6.2k hectares2018: 3.4k hectares2019: 3.6k hectares2020: 2.0k hectares2021: 1.1k hectares2022: 1.0k hectares2023: 1.8k hectares2024: 4.3k hectares

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

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 4,251 hectares for tree cover loss from wildfires in 2024.

That represents a change of up 133.6% on the previous year and down 58.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in Malaysia peaked at 15,204 hectares in 2016 and was at its lowest, 640.44 hectares, in 2008.

That places Malaysia 31st out of 152 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,407 hectares 640.44 hectares 2,870 hectares 9
2010s 5,163 hectares 1,276 hectares 15,204 hectares 10
2020s 2,042 hectares 1,030 hectares 4,251 hectares 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 28 Chile 7,199 hectares compare
  2. 29 Honduras 6,701 hectares compare
  3. 30 Papua New Guinea 4,651 hectares compare
  4. 32 Angola 4,147 hectares compare
  5. 33 Algeria 3,616 hectares compare
  6. 34 Cuba 3,473 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss from wildfires in Malaysia?
Tree cover loss from wildfires in Malaysia was 4,251 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 15,204 hectares in 2016.
What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 640.44 hectares in 2008.
How does Malaysia rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
Malaysia ranks 31st out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malaysia 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).