Woody savanna — Burned Area in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa: Woody savanna — Burned Area was 5.11 million ha in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.11 million ha
Change on year
up 20.2%
Rank
8th
of 31 groups
All-time high
29.30 million ha
in 1998
All-time low
3.56 million ha
in 2017
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Woody savanna — Burned Area in Eastern Africa, 1990–2024

010.0M20.0M30.0M1990200720241990: 9.0M ha1991: 9.0M ha1992: 9.0M ha1993: 9.0M ha1994: 9.0M ha1995: 9.0M ha1996: 28.4M ha1997: 26.6M ha1998: 29.3M ha1999: 27.7M ha2000: 27.2M ha2001: 5.3M ha2002: 5.9M ha2003: 6.8M ha2004: 5.6M ha2005: 6.7M ha2006: 5.9M ha2007: 6.3M ha2008: 6.8M ha2009: 5.3M ha2010: 6.0M ha2011: 4.4M ha2012: 4.9M ha2013: 4.9M ha2014: 4.8M ha2015: 5.1M ha2016: 4.8M ha2017: 3.6M ha2018: 3.7M ha2019: 3.6M ha2020: 3.9M ha2021: 3.9M ha2022: 5.3M ha2023: 4.2M ha2024: 5.1M ha

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

Analysis

In 2024, woody savanna — burned area in Eastern Africa stood at 5.11 million ha.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.2% on the previous year and up 6.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, woody savanna — burned area in Eastern Africa peaked at 29.30 million ha in 1998 and was at its lowest, 3.56 million ha, in 2017.

That places Eastern Africa 8th out of 31 groups 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.

Woody savanna — Burned Area in Eastern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Woody savanna — Burned Area in Eastern Africa, 1990 to 2024.
Year ha Change
1990 9.02 million ha
1991 9.02 million ha +0.0%
1992 9.02 million ha +0.0%
1993 9.02 million ha +0.0%
1994 9.02 million ha +0.0%
1995 9.02 million ha +0.0%
1996 28.42 million ha +215.0%
1997 26.60 million ha -6.4%
1998 29.30 million ha +10.1%
1999 27.71 million ha -5.4%
2000 27.15 million ha -2.0%
2001 5.25 million ha -80.6%
2002 5.89 million ha +12.1%
2003 6.79 million ha +15.3%
2004 5.63 million ha -17.1%
2005 6.70 million ha +19.1%
2006 5.89 million ha -12.1%
2007 6.28 million ha +6.5%
2008 6.80 million ha +8.3%
2009 5.31 million ha -21.9%
2010 6.04 million ha +13.8%
2011 4.39 million ha -27.4%
2012 4.87 million ha +11.1%
2013 4.85 million ha -0.4%
2014 4.79 million ha -1.4%
2015 5.11 million ha +6.8%
2016 4.77 million ha -6.7%
2017 3.56 million ha -25.4%
2018 3.67 million ha +3.2%
2019 3.62 million ha -1.4%
2020 3.87 million ha +6.8%
2021 3.87 million ha +0.1%
2022 5.26 million ha +35.9%
2023 4.25 million ha -19.3%
2024 5.11 million ha +20.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 16.62 million ha 9.02 million ha 29.30 million ha 10
2000s 8.17 million ha 5.25 million ha 27.15 million ha 10
2010s 4.57 million ha 3.56 million ha 6.04 million ha 10
2020s 4.47 million ha 3.87 million ha 5.26 million ha 5

Countries ranked near Eastern Africa

  1. 5 Canada 2.22 million ha compare
  2. 6 Brazil 1.50 million ha compare
  3. 7 Mozambique 1.48 million ha compare
  4. 8 Mexico 459,090 ha compare
  5. 9 Myanmar 406,463 ha compare
  6. 10 Congo 253,969 ha compare
  7. 10 Viet Nam 22,296 ha compare
  8. 11 Nicaragua 244,630 ha compare

See the full ranking of 273 places →

More climate change data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is woody savanna — burned area in Eastern Africa?
Woody savanna — burned area in Eastern Africa was 5.11 million ha in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest woody savanna — burned area recorded in Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 29.30 million ha in 1998.
What is the lowest woody savanna — burned area recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3.56 million ha in 2017.
How does Eastern Africa rank for woody savanna — burned area?
Eastern Africa ranks 8th out of 31 groups with data for 2024.
Is woody savanna — burned area rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Eastern Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Woody savanna — Burned Area. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Woody savanna — Burned Area in Eastern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/woody-savanna-burned-area-fao-tier-1/eastern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Woody savanna — Burned Area
Unit
ha
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
273 places, 9,329 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.