Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Lesotho

Lesotho: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 259.87 tonnes in 2026. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2026)
259.87 tonnes
Change on year
down 35.8%
World rank
142nd
of 248 countries
All-time high
3,685 tonnes
in 2007
All-time low
259.87 tonnes
in 2026
Years of data
24
2003–2026

Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Lesotho, 2003–2026

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k2003201420262003: 3.3k tonnes2004: 996.6 tonnes2005: 1.3k tonnes2006: 432.4 tonnes2007: 3.7k tonnes2008: 750.7 tonnes2009: 679.7 tonnes2010: 2.9k tonnes2011: 679.9 tonnes2012: 286.2 tonnes2013: 2.5k tonnes2014: 2.2k tonnes2015: 918.9 tonnes2016: 445.7 tonnes2017: 794.4 tonnes2018: 608.7 tonnes2019: 2.3k tonnes2020: 590.3 tonnes2021: 976.4 tonnes2022: 943.8 tonnes2023: 2.0k tonnes2024: 3.0k tonnes2025: 404.6 tonnes2026: 259.9 tonnes

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 Lesotho stood at 259.87 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is down 35.8% on the previous year and down 41.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Lesotho peaked at 3,685 tonnes in 2007 and was at its lowest, 259.87 tonnes, in 2026.

Lesotho ranks 142nd of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1,593 tonnes 432.45 tonnes 3,685 tonnes 7
2010s 1,354 tonnes 286.21 tonnes 2,851 tonnes 10
2020s 1,161 tonnes 259.87 tonnes 2,969 tonnes 7

Countries ranked near Lesotho

  1. 139 Puerto Rico 374.8 tonnes compare
  2. 140 Bulgaria 370.02 tonnes compare
  3. 141 Belgium 280.2 tonnes compare
  4. 143 Kyrgyzstan 222.88 tonnes compare
  5. 144 Brunei 219.8 tonnes compare
  6. 145 Israel 216.13 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More climate change data for Lesotho

All data for Lesotho →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Lesotho?
Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Lesotho was 259.87 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 Lesotho?
The highest recorded value was 3,685 tonnes in 2007.
What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Lesotho?
The lowest recorded value was 259.87 tonnes in 2026.
How does Lesotho rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
Lesotho ranks 142nd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Lesotho?
Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Lesotho 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

Indicator
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires
Unit
tonnes
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
248 places, 5,952 data points, 2003–2026
Last refreshed

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.