Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Forest fires — Burned Area was 17,119 ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
17,119 ha
Change on year
up 122.2%
World rank
45th
of 219 countries
All-time high
55,607 ha
in 2010
All-time low
1,497 ha
in 2000
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe, 1990–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k1990200720241990: 26.7k ha1991: 26.7k ha1992: 26.7k ha1993: 26.7k ha1994: 26.7k ha1995: 26.7k ha1996: 16.8k ha1997: 31.0k ha1998: 35.9k ha1999: 23.2k ha2000: 1.5k ha2001: 22.4k ha2002: 7.2k ha2003: 9.7k ha2004: 17.0k ha2005: 25.1k ha2006: 23.3k ha2007: 42.5k ha2008: 39.5k ha2009: 30.4k ha2010: 55.6k ha2011: 38.4k ha2012: 53.0k ha2013: 45.1k ha2014: 30.9k ha2015: 55.3k ha2016: 37.4k ha2017: 20.4k ha2018: 35.5k ha2019: 27.2k ha2020: 8.2k ha2021: 3.6k ha2022: 14.2k ha2023: 7.7k ha2024: 17.1k ha

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in ha.

Analysis

The most recent figure for forest fires — burned area in Zimbabwe is 17,119 ha, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 122.2% on the previous year and down 44.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, forest fires — burned area in Zimbabwe peaked at 55,607 ha in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1,497 ha, in 2000.

That places Zimbabwe 45th out of 219 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe, year by year

Annual values for Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe, 1990 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1990 26,728 ha —
1991 26,728 ha +0.0%
1992 26,728 ha +0.0%
1993 26,728 ha +0.0%
1994 26,728 ha +0.0%
1995 26,728 ha +0.0%
1996 16,789 ha -37.2%
1997 31,046 ha +84.9%
1998 35,924 ha +15.7%
1999 23,198 ha -35.4%
2000 1,497 ha -93.5%
2001 22,380 ha +1394.8%
2002 7,189 ha -67.9%
2003 9,692 ha +34.8%
2004 17,009 ha +75.5%
2005 25,100 ha +47.6%
2006 23,300 ha -7.2%
2007 42,492 ha +82.4%
2008 39,522 ha -7.0%
2009 30,360 ha -23.2%
2010 55,607 ha +83.2%
2011 38,364 ha -31.0%
2012 53,040 ha +38.3%
2013 45,144 ha -14.9%
2014 30,895 ha -31.6%
2015 55,271 ha +78.9%
2016 37,379 ha -32.4%
2017 20,389 ha -45.5%
2018 35,537 ha +74.3%
2019 27,196 ha -23.5%
2020 8,174 ha -69.9%
2021 3,595 ha -56.0%
2022 14,208 ha +295.2%
2023 7,703 ha -45.8%
2024 17,119 ha +122.2%

Zimbabwe compared with similar countries

  • Zimbabwe's 17,119 ha is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,929 ha, 8.9× the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • Zimbabwe's 17,119 ha is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3,274 ha, 5.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe 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.

YearChange FromTo
2001 +1394.8% 1,497 ha 22,380 ha

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 26,733 ha 16,789 ha 35,924 ha 10
2000s 21,854 ha 1,497 ha 42,492 ha 10
2010s 39,882 ha 20,389 ha 55,607 ha 10
2020s 10,160 ha 3,595 ha 17,119 ha 5

Countries ranked near Zimbabwe

  1. 42 Argentina 22,114 ha compare
  2. 43 Liberia 21,332 ha compare
  3. 44 Guinea-Bissau 18,581 ha compare
  4. 46 Philippines 16,900 ha compare
  5. 47 Guinea 13,234 ha compare
  6. 48 Malaysia 12,588 ha compare

See the full ranking of 272 places →

More climate change data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

Frequently asked questions

What is forest fires — burned area in Zimbabwe?
Forest fires — burned area in Zimbabwe was 17,119 ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest forest fires — burned area recorded in Zimbabwe?
The highest recorded value was 55,607 ha in 2010.
What is the lowest forest fires — burned area recorded in Zimbabwe?
The lowest recorded value was 1,497 ha in 2000.
How does Zimbabwe rank for forest fires — burned area?
Zimbabwe ranks 45th out of 219 countries with data for 2024.
Is forest fires — burned area rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
Over the last ten years it is down 44.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zimbabwe 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.

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Forest fires — Burned Area in Zimbabwe. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/forest-fires-burned-area-fao-tier-1/zimbabwe/

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About this data

Indicator
Forest fires — Burned Area
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
272 places, 9,294 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

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.