Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria
Nigeria: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 118,794 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 118,794 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 28.9% on the previous year and down 46.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria peaked at 315,829 tonnes in 2004 and was at its lowest, 118,794 tonnes, in 2026.
Nigeria ranks 27th of 248 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 315,002 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 315,829 tonnes | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 258,325 tonnes | -18.2% |
| 2006 | 271,989 tonnes | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 289,063 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 256,860 tonnes | -11.1% |
| 2009 | 193,427 tonnes | -24.7% |
| 2010 | 197,282 tonnes | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 182,677 tonnes | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 161,043 tonnes | -11.8% |
| 2013 | 139,329 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 2014 | 149,518 tonnes | +7.3% |
| 2015 | 161,438 tonnes | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 222,813 tonnes | +38.0% |
| 2017 | 192,380 tonnes | -13.7% |
| 2018 | 165,488 tonnes | -14.0% |
| 2019 | 139,806 tonnes | -15.5% |
| 2020 | 182,536 tonnes | +30.6% |
| 2021 | 190,108 tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2022 | 174,636 tonnes | -8.1% |
| 2023 | 165,996 tonnes | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 183,564 tonnes | +10.6% |
| 2025 | 167,156 tonnes | -8.9% |
| 2026 | 118,794 tonnes | -28.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 118,794 tonnes is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,315 tonnes, 9.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 118,794 tonnes is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30,647 tonnes, 3.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 271,499 tonnes | 193,427 tonnes | 315,829 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 171,177 tonnes | 139,329 tonnes | 222,813 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 168,970 tonnes | 118,794 tonnes | 190,108 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More climate change data for Nigeria
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 608.40 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 66,810 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 24,814 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 41,996 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,500 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 22,614 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,292 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15,322 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 27.52 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Nigeria was 118,794 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 315,829 tonnes in 2004.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 118,794 tonnes in 2026.
- How does Nigeria rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Nigeria ranks 27th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.