Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 4,117 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 4,117 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026.
The figure is up 8.4% on the previous year and down 54.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka peaked at 20,309 tonnes in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3,757 tonnes, in 2015.
Sri Lanka ranks 95th of 248 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 14,199 tonnes | — |
| 2004 | 17,030 tonnes | +19.9% |
| 2005 | 10,806 tonnes | -36.5% |
| 2006 | 9,335 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2007 | 6,828 tonnes | -26.8% |
| 2008 | 8,577 tonnes | +25.6% |
| 2009 | 11,459 tonnes | +33.6% |
| 2010 | 8,543 tonnes | -25.4% |
| 2011 | 9,334 tonnes | +9.3% |
| 2012 | 11,914 tonnes | +27.6% |
| 2013 | 7,114 tonnes | -40.3% |
| 2014 | 8,770 tonnes | +23.3% |
| 2015 | 3,757 tonnes | -57.2% |
| 2016 | 9,013 tonnes | +139.9% |
| 2017 | 20,309 tonnes | +125.3% |
| 2018 | 17,541 tonnes | -13.6% |
| 2019 | 17,904 tonnes | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 19,846 tonnes | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 6,372 tonnes | -67.9% |
| 2022 | 9,951 tonnes | +56.2% |
| 2023 | 10,904 tonnes | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 9,558 tonnes | -12.3% |
| 2025 | 3,798 tonnes | -60.3% |
| 2026 | 4,117 tonnes | +8.4% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 4,117 tonnes is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5,584 tonnes, 74% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 4,117 tonnes is below the median for South Asia, which is 7,326 tonnes, 56% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11,176 tonnes | 6,828 tonnes | 17,030 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 11,420 tonnes | 3,757 tonnes | 20,309 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,221 tonnes | 3,798 tonnes | 19,846 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 327.09 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Sri Lanka was 4,117 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 20,309 tonnes in 2017.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,757 tonnes in 2015.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Sri Lanka ranks 95th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.