Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 489.97 tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
489.97 tonnes
Change on year
up 37.5%
World rank
126th
of 248 countries
All-time high
2,532 tonnes
in 2010
All-time low
194.7 tonnes
in 2022
Years of data
24
2003–2026

Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan, 2003–2026

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k2003201420262003: 2.0k tonnes2004: 1.5k tonnes2005: 941.5 tonnes2006: 1.5k tonnes2007: 1.7k tonnes2008: 1.9k tonnes2009: 984.9 tonnes2010: 2.5k tonnes2011: 1.8k tonnes2012: 1.0k tonnes2013: 1.8k tonnes2014: 1.2k tonnes2015: 564.4 tonnes2016: 1.1k tonnes2017: 1.2k tonnes2018: 559.6 tonnes2019: 535.8 tonnes2020: 1.2k tonnes2021: 932 tonnes2022: 194.7 tonnes2023: 334.3 tonnes2024: 371.4 tonnes2025: 356.4 tonnes2026: 490 tonnes

Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2026, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan stood at 489.97 tonnes.

That represents a change of up 37.5% on the previous year and down 54.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan peaked at 2,532 tonnes in 2010 and was at its lowest, 194.7 tonnes, in 2022.

That places Afghanistan 126th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,508 tonnes 941.55 tonnes 2,039 tonnes 7
2010s 1,230 tonnes 535.84 tonnes 2,532 tonnes 10
2020s 556.4 tonnes 194.7 tonnes 1,216 tonnes 7

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 123 Suriname 535.56 tonnes compare
  2. 124 Equatorial Guinea 519.46 tonnes compare
  3. 125 Vanuatu 517.68 tonnes compare
  4. 127 Hungary 480.41 tonnes compare
  5. 128 Croatia 475.58 tonnes compare
  6. 129 Bhutan 451.49 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More climate change data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan?
Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Afghanistan was 489.97 tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 2,532 tonnes in 2010.
What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 194.7 tonnes in 2022.
How does Afghanistan rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
Afghanistan ranks 126th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 54.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan 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 PM2.5 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

Indicator
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires
Unit
tonnes
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 5,952 data points, 2003–2026
Last refreshed

PM2.5 emissions represent the quantity of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) released by wildfires, in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.