Open shrubland — Burned Area in Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand: Open shrubland — Burned Area was 11.72 million ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
11.72 million ha
Change on year
down 73.7%
World rank
2nd
of 218 countries
All-time high
50.09 million ha
in 2011
All-time low
2.01 million ha
in 2020
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Open shrubland — Burned Area in Australia and New Zealand, 1990–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M1990200720241990: 19.6M ha1991: 19.6M ha1992: 19.6M ha1993: 19.6M ha1994: 19.6M ha1995: 19.6M ha1996: 13.7M ha1997: 14.1M ha1998: 16.9M ha1999: 31.6M ha2000: 38.8M ha2001: 42.7M ha2002: 43.0M ha2003: 6.7M ha2004: 21.2M ha2005: 4.4M ha2006: 23.0M ha2007: 19.9M ha2008: 7.5M ha2009: 7.6M ha2010: 4.4M ha2011: 50.1M ha2012: 45.4M ha2013: 7.7M ha2014: 16.5M ha2015: 16.7M ha2016: 5.5M ha2017: 25.8M ha2018: 21.7M ha2019: 9.3M ha2020: 2.0M ha2021: 6.0M ha2022: 8.5M ha2023: 44.6M ha2024: 11.7M ha

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

Analysis

In 2024, open shrubland — burned area in Australia and New Zealand stood at 11.72 million ha.

That represents a change of down 73.7% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, open shrubland — burned area in Australia and New Zealand peaked at 50.09 million ha in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.01 million ha, in 2020.

Australia and New Zealand ranks 2nd of 218 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Open shrubland — Burned Area in Australia and New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Open shrubland — Burned Area in Australia and New Zealand, 1990 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1990 19.55 million ha
1991 19.55 million ha +0.0%
1992 19.55 million ha +0.0%
1993 19.55 million ha +0.0%
1994 19.55 million ha +0.0%
1995 19.55 million ha +0.0%
1996 13.66 million ha -30.1%
1997 14.13 million ha +3.4%
1998 16.87 million ha +19.4%
1999 31.65 million ha +87.6%
2000 38.83 million ha +22.7%
2001 42.74 million ha +10.0%
2002 42.99 million ha +0.6%
2003 6.69 million ha -84.4%
2004 21.19 million ha +216.8%
2005 4.38 million ha -79.3%
2006 22.95 million ha +424.3%
2007 19.94 million ha -13.1%
2008 7.46 million ha -62.6%
2009 7.64 million ha +2.5%
2010 4.44 million ha -41.9%
2011 50.09 million ha +1028.7%
2012 45.42 million ha -9.3%
2013 7.71 million ha -83.0%
2014 16.48 million ha +113.7%
2015 16.69 million ha +1.3%
2016 5.46 million ha -67.3%
2017 25.82 million ha +372.9%
2018 21.66 million ha -16.1%
2019 9.35 million ha -56.9%
2020 2.01 million ha -78.5%
2021 5.96 million ha +197.0%
2022 8.50 million ha +42.6%
2023 44.62 million ha +424.9%
2024 11.72 million ha -73.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.36 million ha 13.66 million ha 31.65 million ha 10
2000s 21.48 million ha 4.38 million ha 42.99 million ha 10
2010s 20.31 million ha 4.44 million ha 50.09 million ha 10
2020s 14.56 million ha 2.01 million ha 44.62 million ha 5

Countries ranked near Australia and New Zealand

  1. 1 OECD 11.84 million ha compare
  2. 2 Australia 11.72 million ha compare
  3. 2 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 146,868 ha compare
  4. 4 Russian Federation 1.02 million ha compare
  5. 4 Syrian Arab Republic 63,138 ha compare
  6. 5 Botswana 924,078 ha compare

See the full ranking of 270 places →

More climate change data for Australia and New Zealand

All data for Australia and New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is open shrubland — burned area in Australia and New Zealand?
Open shrubland — burned area in Australia and New Zealand was 11.72 million ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest open shrubland — burned area recorded in Australia and New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 50.09 million ha in 2011.
What is the lowest open shrubland — burned area recorded in Australia and New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 2.01 million ha in 2020.
How does Australia and New Zealand rank for open shrubland — burned area?
Australia and New Zealand ranks 2nd out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
Is open shrubland — burned area rising or falling in Australia and New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Australia and New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Open shrubland — Burned Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Open shrubland — Burned Area in Australia and New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/open-shrubland-burned-area-fao-tier-1/australia-and-new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Open shrubland — Burned Area
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
270 places, 9,224 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.