Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in India
India: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 46.45 million tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in India, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2026, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in India stood at 46.45 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.1% on the previous year and down 51.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in India peaked at 96.18 million tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 44.21 million tonnes, in 2024.
That places India 18th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in India, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 79.62 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 83.12 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 80.99 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 83.20 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 72.94 million tonnes | -12.3% |
| 2008 | 63.25 million tonnes | -13.3% |
| 2009 | 88.62 million tonnes | +40.1% |
| 2010 | 72.26 million tonnes | -18.5% |
| 2011 | 60.60 million tonnes | -16.1% |
| 2012 | 73.80 million tonnes | +21.8% |
| 2013 | 57.65 million tonnes | -21.9% |
| 2014 | 64.43 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 2015 | 63.01 million tonnes | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 96.18 million tonnes | +52.6% |
| 2017 | 51.85 million tonnes | -46.1% |
| 2018 | 56.28 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2019 | 52.37 million tonnes | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 45.25 million tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2021 | 76.49 million tonnes | +69.0% |
| 2022 | 51.66 million tonnes | -32.5% |
| 2023 | 45.96 million tonnes | -11.0% |
| 2024 | 44.21 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 2025 | 49.99 million tonnes | +13.1% |
| 2026 | 46.45 million tonnes | -7.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 46.45 million tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.38 million tonnes, 13.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 46.45 million tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.23 million tonnes, 37.9× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.82 million tonnes | 63.25 million tonnes | 88.62 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 64.84 million tonnes | 51.85 million tonnes | 96.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.43 million tonnes | 44.21 million tonnes | 76.49 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 27.69 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 602,760 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 105,678 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 497,082 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 398.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 279,594 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 176,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 103,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 664.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in India?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in India was 46.45 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 96.18 million tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.21 million tonnes in 2024.
- How does India rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- India ranks 18th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.