Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in China
China: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 219,400 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in China, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in China is 219,400 tonnes, measured in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 36.2% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in China peaked at 757,946 tonnes in 2003 and was at its lowest, 219,400 tonnes, in 2026.
China ranks 17th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 757,946 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 453,016 tonnes | -40.2% |
| 2005 | 346,896 tonnes | -23.4% |
| 2006 | 407,833 tonnes | +17.6% |
| 2007 | 373,272 tonnes | -8.5% |
| 2008 | 508,318 tonnes | +36.2% |
| 2009 | 410,257 tonnes | -19.3% |
| 2010 | 436,834 tonnes | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 336,527 tonnes | -23.0% |
| 2012 | 322,861 tonnes | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 369,869 tonnes | +14.6% |
| 2014 | 401,856 tonnes | +8.6% |
| 2015 | 367,278 tonnes | -8.6% |
| 2016 | 265,606 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 2017 | 335,126 tonnes | +26.2% |
| 2018 | 301,250 tonnes | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 316,227 tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 314,837 tonnes | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 273,404 tonnes | -13.2% |
| 2022 | 333,528 tonnes | +22.0% |
| 2023 | 333,677 tonnes | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 317,014 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2025 | 344,027 tonnes | +8.5% |
| 2026 | 219,400 tonnes | -36.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 219,400 tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,584 tonnes, 39.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 219,400 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 301.22 tonnes, 728.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 465,363 tonnes | 346,896 tonnes | 757,946 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 345,343 tonnes | 265,606 tonnes | 436,834 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 305,127 tonnes | 219,400 tonnes | 344,027 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in China?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in China was 219,400 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 757,946 tonnes in 2003.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 219,400 tonnes in 2026.
- How does China rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- China ranks 17th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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 18 September 2026.