Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho
Lesotho: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 290,060 tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 290,060 tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 115.1% on the previous year and up 95.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho peaked at 1.23 million tonnes in 2007 and was at its lowest, 95,399 tonnes, in 2012.
That places Lesotho 117th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1.09 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 332,197 tonnes | -69.6% |
| 2005 | 442,432 tonnes | +33.2% |
| 2006 | 144,136 tonnes | -67.4% |
| 2007 | 1.23 million tonnes | +752.2% |
| 2008 | 250,218 tonnes | -79.6% |
| 2009 | 226,564 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 2010 | 950,411 tonnes | +319.5% |
| 2011 | 226,614 tonnes | -76.2% |
| 2012 | 95,399 tonnes | -57.9% |
| 2013 | 818,254 tonnes | +757.7% |
| 2014 | 748,099 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 306,277 tonnes | -59.1% |
| 2016 | 148,540 tonnes | -51.5% |
| 2017 | 264,757 tonnes | +78.2% |
| 2018 | 202,890 tonnes | -23.4% |
| 2019 | 751,306 tonnes | +270.3% |
| 2020 | 196,776 tonnes | -73.8% |
| 2021 | 325,450 tonnes | +65.4% |
| 2022 | 314,577 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 660,758 tonnes | +110.0% |
| 2024 | 989,561 tonnes | +49.8% |
| 2025 | 134,873 tonnes | -86.4% |
| 2026 | 290,060 tonnes | +115.1% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 290,060 tonnes is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.38 million tonnes, 9% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 290,060 tonnes is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.74 million tonnes, 3% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +752.2% | 144,136 tonnes | 1.23 million tonnes |
| 2013 | +757.7% | 95,399 tonnes | 818,254 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 530,854 tonnes | 144,136 tonnes | 1.23 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 451,255 tonnes | 95,399 tonnes | 950,411 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 416,008 tonnes | 134,873 tonnes | 989,561 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 114 Uruguay 342,818 tonnes compare
- 115 North Macedonia 333,514 tonnes compare
- 116 Azerbaijan 298,249 tonnes compare
- 118 Jamaica 280,203 tonnes compare
- 119 Bahamas 270,262 tonnes compare
- 120 North Korea 265,981 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Lesotho
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 6.55 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,116 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 715.74 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.7 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 50.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 61.29 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 51.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 9.3 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.1962 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Lesotho was 290,060 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 1.23 million tonnes in 2007.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 95,399 tonnes in 2012.
- How does Lesotho rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Lesotho ranks 117th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 95.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.