Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada
Canada: Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre was 0.022 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada, 2002–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada is 0.022 hectares per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1,067.2% on the previous year and up 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada peaked at 0.022 hectares per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre, in 2020.
That places Canada 13th out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0.006 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 2003 | 0.0037 hectares per square kilometre | -39.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0019 hectares per square kilometre | -48.6% |
| 2005 | 0.0038 hectares per square kilometre | +101.4% |
| 2006 | 0.0028 hectares per square kilometre | -25.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0032 hectares per square kilometre | +14.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0048 hectares per square kilometre | +47.7% |
| 2009 | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | -81.9% |
| 2010 | 0.0047 hectares per square kilometre | +447.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0014 hectares per square kilometre | -69.9% |
| 2012 | 0.0021 hectares per square kilometre | +44.5% |
| 2013 | 0.016 hectares per square kilometre | +675.4% |
| 2014 | 0.0123 hectares per square kilometre | -23.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0033 hectares per square kilometre | -73.3% |
| 2016 | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | -73.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0056 hectares per square kilometre | +554.6% |
| 2018 | 0.002 hectares per square kilometre | -64.5% |
| 2019 | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | -56.4% |
| 2020 | 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre | -59.4% |
| 2021 | 0.0051 hectares per square kilometre | +1360.8% |
| 2022 | 0.0019 hectares per square kilometre | -63.4% |
| 2023 | 0.022 hectares per square kilometre | +1067.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +1360.8% | 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0051 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2023 | +1067.1% | 0.0019 hectares per square kilometre | 0.022 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2013 | +675.4% | 0.0021 hectares per square kilometre | 0.016 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2017 | +554.6% | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0056 hectares per square kilometre |
| 2010 | +447.2% | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0047 hectares per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0034 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | 0.006 hectares per square kilometre | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.0049 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0009 hectares per square kilometre | 0.016 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0073 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre | 0.022 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 10 Greece 0.0228 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 11 Belize 0.0226 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 12 Uganda 0.0222 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 14 Cambodia 0.0191 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 15 Congo 0.0173 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 16 Brazil 0.0166 hectares per square kilometre compare
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada?
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Canada was 0.022 hectares per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 0.022 hectares per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0004 hectares per square kilometre in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre?
- Canada ranks 13th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Wildfire area burned by land cover type divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Wildfire area burned by land cover type ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Wildfire area burned by land cover type divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.