Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Zambia
Zambia: Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre was 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Zambia, 2002–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in hectares per square kilometre.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre for wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 84.2% on the previous year and down 87.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Zambia peaked at 0.1573 hectares per square kilometre in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places Zambia 20th 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | hectares per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 0.1298 hectares per square kilometre | — |
| 2003 | 0.0391 hectares per square kilometre | -69.9% |
| 2004 | 0.0318 hectares per square kilometre | -18.8% |
| 2005 | 0.1314 hectares per square kilometre | +313.5% |
| 2006 | 0.0573 hectares per square kilometre | -56.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0219 hectares per square kilometre | -61.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0688 hectares per square kilometre | +214.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0146 hectares per square kilometre | -78.7% |
| 2010 | 0.043 hectares per square kilometre | +193.7% |
| 2011 | 0.0736 hectares per square kilometre | +71.1% |
| 2012 | 0.0605 hectares per square kilometre | -17.7% |
| 2013 | 0.0951 hectares per square kilometre | +57.1% |
| 2014 | 0.0353 hectares per square kilometre | -62.9% |
| 2015 | 0.1155 hectares per square kilometre | +227.0% |
| 2016 | 0.1573 hectares per square kilometre | +36.2% |
| 2017 | 0.0467 hectares per square kilometre | -70.3% |
| 2018 | 0.0479 hectares per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 0.1133 hectares per square kilometre | +136.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0432 hectares per square kilometre | -61.9% |
| 2021 | 0.0343 hectares per square kilometre | -20.6% |
| 2022 | 0.0781 hectares per square kilometre | +127.6% |
| 2023 | 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre | -84.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.0618 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0146 hectares per square kilometre | 0.1314 hectares per square kilometre | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.0788 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0353 hectares per square kilometre | 0.1573 hectares per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.042 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre | 0.0781 hectares per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 17 Ghana 0.0159 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 18 Tanzania 0.0139 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 19 Rwanda 0.0131 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 21 Argentina 0.012 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 22 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.0119 hectares per square kilometre compare
- 23 Kazakhstan 0.0118 hectares per square kilometre compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Zambia?
- Wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre in Zambia was 0.0124 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1573 hectares per square kilometre in 2016.
- What is the lowest wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0124 hectares per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre?
- Zambia ranks 20th out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is wildfire area burned by land cover type, per square kilometre rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 87.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.