Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires was 3.81 million tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile
Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 3.81 million tonnes for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in 2026.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.6% on the previous year and up 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia peaked at 33.56 million tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.39 million tonnes, in 2003.
Saudi Arabia ranks 67th of 248 countries on this measure, 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1.39 million tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 2.24 million tonnes | +61.1% |
| 2005 | 1.85 million tonnes | -17.4% |
| 2006 | 2.20 million tonnes | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 2.78 million tonnes | +26.3% |
| 2008 | 1.90 million tonnes | -31.9% |
| 2009 | 3.28 million tonnes | +73.1% |
| 2010 | 2.99 million tonnes | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 2.29 million tonnes | -23.4% |
| 2012 | 2.63 million tonnes | +14.7% |
| 2013 | 2.35 million tonnes | -10.8% |
| 2014 | 2.10 million tonnes | -10.3% |
| 2015 | 3.02 million tonnes | +43.4% |
| 2016 | 2.92 million tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 32.96 million tonnes | +1030.4% |
| 2018 | 31.60 million tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 33.56 million tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 29.60 million tonnes | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 23.84 million tonnes | -19.5% |
| 2022 | 18.05 million tonnes | -24.3% |
| 2023 | 32.76 million tonnes | +81.5% |
| 2024 | 16.06 million tonnes | -51.0% |
| 2025 | 5.05 million tonnes | -68.6% |
| 2026 | 3.81 million tonnes | -24.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 3.81 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 41,059 tonnes, 92.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 3.81 million tonnes is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 380,717 tonnes, 10.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +1030.4% | 2.92 million tonnes | 32.96 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.23 million tonnes | 1.39 million tonnes | 3.28 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 11.64 million tonnes | 2.10 million tonnes | 33.56 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.45 million tonnes | 3.81 million tonnes | 32.76 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More climate change data for Saudi Arabia
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 134.54 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,043 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,830 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,213 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 6.91 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 79.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,002 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15.05 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3.78 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia?
- Annual co₂ emissions from wildfires in Saudi Arabia was 3.81 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 33.56 million tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from wildfires recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.39 million tonnes in 2003.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for annual co₂ emissions from wildfires?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 67th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.