Forest fires — Burned Area in China, mainland
China, mainland: Forest fires — Burned Area was 85,701 ha in 2024. ▼ Falling
Forest fires — Burned Area in China, mainland, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
China, mainland recorded 85,701 ha for forest fires — burned area in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 23.1% on the previous year and down 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest fires — burned area in China, mainland peaked at 292,128 ha in 2008 and was at its lowest, 45,470 ha, in 2022.
China, mainland ranks 27th of 219 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Forest fires — Burned Area in China, mainland, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 115,670 ha | — |
| 1991 | 115,670 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 115,670 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 115,670 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 115,670 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 115,670 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 135,204 ha | +16.9% |
| 1997 | 140,936 ha | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 162,320 ha | +15.2% |
| 1999 | 149,774 ha | -7.7% |
| 2000 | 178,027 ha | +18.9% |
| 2001 | 108,931 ha | -38.8% |
| 2002 | 61,414 ha | -43.6% |
| 2003 | 199,194 ha | +224.3% |
| 2004 | 172,187 ha | -13.6% |
| 2005 | 103,500 ha | -39.9% |
| 2006 | 76,134 ha | -26.4% |
| 2007 | 106,887 ha | +40.4% |
| 2008 | 292,128 ha | +173.3% |
| 2009 | 131,290 ha | -55.1% |
| 2010 | 148,069 ha | +12.8% |
| 2011 | 90,894 ha | -38.6% |
| 2012 | 66,743 ha | -26.6% |
| 2013 | 70,873 ha | +6.2% |
| 2014 | 137,699 ha | +94.3% |
| 2015 | 78,718 ha | -42.8% |
| 2016 | 88,000 ha | +11.8% |
| 2017 | 45,712 ha | -48.1% |
| 2018 | 93,775 ha | +105.1% |
| 2019 | 95,286 ha | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 102,161 ha | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 76,006 ha | -25.6% |
| 2022 | 45,470 ha | -40.2% |
| 2023 | 111,387 ha | +145.0% |
| 2024 | 85,701 ha | -23.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forest fires — Burned Area in China, mainland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +224.3% | 61,414 ha | 199,194 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 128,225 ha | 115,670 ha | 162,320 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 142,969 ha | 61,414 ha | 292,128 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 91,577 ha | 45,712 ha | 148,069 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 84,145 ha | 45,470 ha | 111,387 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near China, mainland
More climate change data for China, mainland
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.03 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 601,907 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 190,398 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 411,509 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 718.48 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,697 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 339,506 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 199,343 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 140,163 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 752.24 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest fires — burned area in China, mainland?
- Forest fires — burned area in China, mainland was 85,701 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest forest fires — burned area recorded in China, mainland?
- The highest recorded value was 292,128 ha in 2008.
- What is the lowest forest fires — burned area recorded in China, mainland?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,470 ha in 2022.
- How does China, mainland rank for forest fires — burned area?
- China, mainland ranks 27th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is forest fires — burned area rising or falling in China, mainland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China, mainland data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Forest fires — Burned Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Fires consists of estimates of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from biomass burning in a range of vegetation types and from fires in organic soils.