Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in United States
United States: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 450,253 tonnes in 2026. ▼ Falling
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in United States, 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 United States stood at 450,253 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 39.7% on the previous year and down 43.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in United States peaked at 1.66 million tonnes in 2004 and was at its lowest, 450,253 tonnes, in 2026.
That places United States 5th out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it 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 | 1.08 million tonnes | 642,831 tonnes | 1.66 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 863,685 tonnes | 560,974 tonnes | 1.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 881,458 tonnes | 450,253 tonnes | 1.29 million tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near United States
More climate change data for United States
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 4.1% (2100)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 341.79 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.6% (2025)
- Urban population 274.08 million (2025)
- Urban population 80.2% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 434.87 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 14.2 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in United States?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in United States was 450,253 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1.66 million tonnes in 2004.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 450,253 tonnes in 2026.
- How does United States rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- United States ranks 5th out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.