Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Laos
Laos: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 280,260 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Laos, 2003–2026
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 Laos stood at 280,260 tonnes.
That represents a change of up 23.0% on the previous year and down 69.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Laos peaked at 917,945 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 193,127 tonnes, in 2022.
Laos ranks 13th 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 Laos, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 391,643 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 695,014 tonnes | +77.5% |
| 2005 | 512,789 tonnes | -26.2% |
| 2006 | 508,075 tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 700,221 tonnes | +37.8% |
| 2008 | 414,242 tonnes | -40.8% |
| 2009 | 423,209 tonnes | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 721,075 tonnes | +70.4% |
| 2011 | 348,845 tonnes | -51.6% |
| 2012 | 553,725 tonnes | +58.7% |
| 2013 | 473,575 tonnes | -14.5% |
| 2014 | 587,791 tonnes | +24.1% |
| 2015 | 539,542 tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 917,945 tonnes | +70.1% |
| 2017 | 388,527 tonnes | -57.7% |
| 2018 | 314,746 tonnes | -19.0% |
| 2019 | 559,638 tonnes | +77.8% |
| 2020 | 523,923 tonnes | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 457,381 tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2022 | 193,127 tonnes | -57.8% |
| 2023 | 663,661 tonnes | +243.6% |
| 2024 | 429,913 tonnes | -35.2% |
| 2025 | 227,809 tonnes | -47.0% |
| 2026 | 280,260 tonnes | +23.0% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 280,260 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,315 tonnes, 22.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 280,260 tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 301.22 tonnes, 930.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 520,742 tonnes | 391,643 tonnes | 700,221 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 540,541 tonnes | 314,746 tonnes | 917,945 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 396,582 tonnes | 193,127 tonnes | 663,661 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 10 South Sudan 391,685 tonnes compare
- 11 Myanmar 300,745 tonnes compare
- 12 Mozambique 298,268 tonnes compare
- 14 Mexico 261,070 tonnes compare
- 15 Central African Republic 246,435 tonnes compare
- 16 India 240,486 tonnes compare
More climate change data for Laos
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 11,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,980 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 8,484 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 11.25 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 303.01 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 2,806 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 581.36 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,224 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.19 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 79.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Laos?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Laos was 280,260 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 917,945 tonnes in 2016.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 193,127 tonnes in 2022.
- How does Laos rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Laos ranks 13th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos 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.