Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Australia
Australia: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 386,888 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Australia, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Australia recorded 386,888 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 70.0% on the previous year and down 59.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Australia peaked at 3.11 million tonnes in 2012 and was at its lowest, 386,888 tonnes, in 2026.
That places Australia 7th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.53 million tonnes | 1.00 million tonnes | 2.01 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.78 million tonnes | 653,555 tonnes | 3.11 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.20 million tonnes | 386,888 tonnes | 2.32 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More climate change data for Australia
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.4% (2100)
- Population growth 1.5% (2025)
- Population, total 27.61 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.7% (2025)
- Urban population 24.22 million (2025)
- Urban population 87.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 20.04 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.48 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Australia?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Australia was 386,888 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.11 million tonnes in 2012.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 386,888 tonnes in 2026.
- How does Australia rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Australia ranks 7th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 59.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia 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
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.