Forest fires — Burned Area in Nepal
Nepal: Forest fires — Burned Area was 363,091 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Forest fires — Burned Area in Nepal, 1990–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.
Analysis
The most recent figure for forest fires — burned area in Nepal is 363,091 ha, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 75.4% on the previous year and up 100.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, forest fires — burned area in Nepal peaked at 445,164 ha in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17,509 ha, in 2002.
Nepal ranks 13th of 219 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Forest fires — Burned Area in Nepal, year by year
| Year | ha | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 124,504 ha | — |
| 1991 | 124,504 ha | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 124,504 ha | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 124,504 ha | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 124,504 ha | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 124,504 ha | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 28,460 ha | -77.1% |
| 1997 | 19,770 ha | -30.5% |
| 1998 | 33,211 ha | +68.0% |
| 1999 | 44,888 ha | +35.2% |
| 2000 | 34,301 ha | -23.6% |
| 2001 | 76,088 ha | +121.8% |
| 2002 | 17,509 ha | -77.0% |
| 2003 | 144,083 ha | +722.9% |
| 2004 | 114,467 ha | -20.6% |
| 2005 | 114,306 ha | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 70,041 ha | -38.7% |
| 2007 | 47,814 ha | -31.7% |
| 2008 | 97,266 ha | +103.4% |
| 2009 | 142,300 ha | +46.3% |
| 2010 | 171,932 ha | +20.8% |
| 2011 | 102,150 ha | -40.6% |
| 2012 | 174,730 ha | +71.1% |
| 2013 | 184,916 ha | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 181,452 ha | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 24,606 ha | -86.4% |
| 2016 | 445,164 ha | +1709.2% |
| 2017 | 105,325 ha | -76.3% |
| 2018 | 75,380 ha | -28.4% |
| 2019 | 237,018 ha | +214.4% |
| 2020 | 34,995 ha | -85.2% |
| 2021 | 237,636 ha | +579.0% |
| 2022 | 80,679 ha | -66.0% |
| 2023 | 207,025 ha | +156.6% |
| 2024 | 363,091 ha | +75.4% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 363,091 ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,929 ha, 188.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 363,091 ha is above the median for South Asia, which is 19,356 ha, 18.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Forest fires — Burned Area in Nepal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +1709.2% | 24,606 ha | 445,164 ha |
| 2003 | +722.9% | 17,509 ha | 144,083 ha |
| 2021 | +579.0% | 34,995 ha | 237,636 ha |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 87,335 ha | 19,770 ha | 124,504 ha | 10 |
| 2000s | 85,818 ha | 17,509 ha | 144,083 ha | 10 |
| 2010s | 170,267 ha | 24,606 ha | 445,164 ha | 10 |
| 2020s | 184,685 ha | 34,995 ha | 363,091 ha | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
- 10 Mexico 557,291 ha compare
- 10 Viet Nam 77,644 ha compare
- 11 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 10,553 ha compare
- 11 India 523,649 ha compare
- 12 Cambodia 470,662 ha compare
- 12 Melanesia 8,913 ha compare
- 13 Türkiye 2,750 ha compare
- 14 Thailand 362,523 ha compare
- 14 Timor-Leste 171.01 ha compare
- 15 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0 ha compare
- 15 Micronesia (Federated States of) 0 ha
- 15 Republic of Moldova 0 ha compare
- 15 South Sudan 289,236 ha compare
- 15 Syrian Arab Republic 0 ha compare
- 15 Wallis and Futuna Islands 0 ha
- 15 Micronesia 0 ha
- 15 Polynesia 0 ha compare
- 16 Sudan (former) 276,002 ha compare
More climate change data for Nepal
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 14.93 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,890 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 19,588 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14.68 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 699.59 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,853 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,263 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,590 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 4.76 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is forest fires — burned area in Nepal?
- Forest fires — burned area in Nepal was 363,091 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest forest fires — burned area recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 445,164 ha in 2016.
- What is the lowest forest fires — burned area recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,509 ha in 2002.
- How does Nepal rank for forest fires — burned area?
- Nepal ranks 13th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
- Is forest fires — burned area rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal 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.