Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in India
India: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 240,486 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in India, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
India recorded 240,486 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026.
The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 54.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in India peaked at 529,633 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 233,791 tonnes, in 2024.
India ranks 16th 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 India, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 449,925 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 468,289 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 444,698 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2006 | 465,842 tonnes | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 403,110 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 2008 | 348,455 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2009 | 482,061 tonnes | +38.3% |
| 2010 | 401,530 tonnes | -16.7% |
| 2011 | 331,125 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2012 | 411,588 tonnes | +24.3% |
| 2013 | 318,751 tonnes | -22.6% |
| 2014 | 358,630 tonnes | +12.5% |
| 2015 | 348,489 tonnes | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 529,633 tonnes | +52.0% |
| 2017 | 278,906 tonnes | -47.3% |
| 2018 | 301,148 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 2019 | 286,000 tonnes | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 248,553 tonnes | -13.1% |
| 2021 | 413,925 tonnes | +66.5% |
| 2022 | 280,828 tonnes | -32.2% |
| 2023 | 244,653 tonnes | -12.9% |
| 2024 | 233,791 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2025 | 259,164 tonnes | +10.9% |
| 2026 | 240,486 tonnes | -7.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 240,486 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,315 tonnes, 19.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 240,486 tonnes is above the median for South Asia, which is 7,326 tonnes, 32.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 437,483 tonnes | 348,455 tonnes | 482,061 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 356,580 tonnes | 278,906 tonnes | 529,633 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 274,486 tonnes | 233,791 tonnes | 413,925 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 27.69 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 602,760 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 105,678 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 497,082 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 398.78 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17,753 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 279,594 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 176,015 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 103,578 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 664.21 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in India?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in India was 240,486 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 529,633 tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 233,791 tonnes in 2024.
- How does India rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- India ranks 16th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.