Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in France
France: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 5.22 million tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in France, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in France is 5.22 million tonnes, measured in 2026. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 267.0% on the previous year and up 189.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in France peaked at 5.22 million tonnes in 2026 and was at its lowest, 1.04 million tonnes, in 2024.
France ranks 60th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in France, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 4.79 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 2.30 million tonnes | -52.0% |
| 2005 | 2.07 million tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 1.49 million tonnes | -27.8% |
| 2007 | 1.19 million tonnes | -19.9% |
| 2008 | 1.72 million tonnes | +44.2% |
| 2009 | 1.19 million tonnes | -31.0% |
| 2010 | 1.41 million tonnes | +19.0% |
| 2011 | 1.21 million tonnes | -14.1% |
| 2012 | 1.41 million tonnes | +16.0% |
| 2013 | 1.13 million tonnes | -19.9% |
| 2014 | 1.36 million tonnes | +20.9% |
| 2015 | 1.22 million tonnes | -10.8% |
| 2016 | 1.80 million tonnes | +48.1% |
| 2017 | 2.47 million tonnes | +37.2% |
| 2018 | 1.26 million tonnes | -49.1% |
| 2019 | 1.78 million tonnes | +41.4% |
| 2020 | 1.23 million tonnes | -31.1% |
| 2021 | 1.81 million tonnes | +47.8% |
| 2022 | 4.35 million tonnes | +139.6% |
| 2023 | 1.25 million tonnes | -71.2% |
| 2024 | 1.04 million tonnes | -16.7% |
| 2025 | 1.42 million tonnes | +36.5% |
| 2026 | 5.22 million tonnes | +267.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 5.22 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 41,059 tonnes, 127.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- France's 5.22 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 120,250 tonnes, 43.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in France 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +267.0% | 1.42 million tonnes | 5.22 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.11 million tonnes | 1.19 million tonnes | 4.79 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.51 million tonnes | 1.13 million tonnes | 2.47 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.33 million tonnes | 1.04 million tonnes | 5.22 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near France
More climate change data for France
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.23 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 55,837 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,820 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 44,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 44.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,572 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 16,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,451 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 532.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 62.08 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in France?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in France was 5.22 million tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 5.22 million tonnes in 2026.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.04 million tonnes in 2024.
- How does France rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- France ranks 60th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 189.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions 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
Carbon dioxide released by wildfires in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 September 2026.