Tree cover loss from wildfires in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Tree cover loss from wildfires was 70.29 hectares in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
70.29 hectares
Change on year
up 62.6%
World rank
94th
of 152 countries
All-time high
1,969 hectares
in 2009
All-time low
16.07 hectares
in 2018
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Tree cover loss from wildfires in United Kingdom, 2001–2024

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2001201220242001: 1.7k hectares2002: 1.3k hectares2003: 72.1 hectares2004: 1.9k hectares2005: 360.5 hectares2006: 1.4k hectares2007: 1.2k hectares2008: 573.6 hectares2009: 2.0k hectares2010: 722.4 hectares2011: 421.7 hectares2012: 487.5 hectares2013: 678.9 hectares2014: 308.3 hectares2015: 29.3 hectares2016: 86.5 hectares2017: 105.2 hectares2018: 16.1 hectares2019: 25.6 hectares2020: 32.4 hectares2021: 32.7 hectares2022: 76.6 hectares2023: 43.2 hectares2024: 70.3 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 United Kingdom stood at 70.29 hectares.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 62.6% on the previous year and down 77.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tree cover loss from wildfires in United Kingdom peaked at 1,969 hectares in 2009 and was at its lowest, 16.07 hectares, in 2018.

United Kingdom ranks 94th 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 1,158 hectares 72.1 hectares 1,969 hectares 9
2010s 288.15 hectares 16.07 hectares 722.43 hectares 10
2020s 51.02 hectares 32.37 hectares 76.57 hectares 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 91 Kenya 87.2 hectares compare
  2. 92 Serbia 86.79 hectares compare
  3. 93 Ghana 74.81 hectares compare
  4. 95 Vanuatu 69.29 hectares compare
  5. 96 Austria 61.74 hectares compare
  6. 97 Bangladesh 52.27 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is tree cover loss from wildfires in United Kingdom?
Tree cover loss from wildfires in United Kingdom was 70.29 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 1,969 hectares in 2009.
What is the lowest tree cover loss from wildfires recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 16.07 hectares in 2018.
How does United Kingdom rank for tree cover loss from wildfires?
United Kingdom ranks 94th out of 152 countries with data for 2024.
Is tree cover loss from wildfires rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom 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).