Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in India
India: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 239,290 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 239,290 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026.
The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 54.8% 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 14th 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.
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 | 274,315 tonnes | 233,791 tonnes | 413,925 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near India
More climate change data for India
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 14.8% (2100)
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
- Population, total 1.46 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population 522.44 million (2025)
- Urban population 35.7% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 66.07 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 2.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in India?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in India was 239,290 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 14th 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 54.8%. 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 07 August 2026.