How many people die in fires in each country?

Among the 117 countries and territories with a usable WHO death record from 2018 or later, the median is 0.54 accidental fire deaths per 100,000 people, and the highest rates among those with at least 20 deaths are Belarus (6.01 in 2018), Latvia (4.23 in 2024), South Africa (3.89 in 2020); for the 60 countries where fire service counts (CTIF) cover the same year, the CTIF rate is higher in 34, the WHO rate is higher in 22, and the two are within 25% of each other in 27.

fire deaths per 100,000 people

00.250.5126

Year varies by country (2001–2024) · grey: no figure

Latest figure for each country

How sure

United Kingdom: WHO's United Kingdom total; England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also listed separately. CTIF's Great Britain row is shown but not counted. Too small or not separate on this map: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion. Each colour is one figure per country: one year, not an average, for the year shown in the ranking and when you point at a country.With "How sure" on, hatching marks countries whose latest figure has a trust score below 60 (Low or Very low).

All countries

Show each source

Fire deaths per 100,000 people. one year, not an average. Sort by any column.

Albania	0.11	0.11	–	–	2005	38 Very low
Andorra	3.64	–	3.64	–	2020	57 Low
Anguilla	0	–	0	–	2021	60 Moderate
Antigua and Barbuda	3.25	–	3.25	–	2021	60 Moderate
Argentina	0.56	0.37	0.56	–	2018	56 Low
Armenia	0.66	0.44	0.66	–	2020	57 Low
Aruba	0	–	0	–	2022	60 Moderate
Australia	0.27	0.53	0.27	–	2024	57 Low
Austria	0.23	0.47	0.23	–	2024	53 Low
Azerbaijan	0.39	0.39	2.54	–	2024	45 Low
Bahamas	1.29	–	1.29	–	2016	57 Low
Bahrain	0.91	–	0.91	–	2014	54 Low
Bangladesh	0.08	0.08	–	–	2024	47 Low
Barbados	0	0.71	0	–	2013	44 Low
Belarus	6.01	5.65	6.01	–	2018	73 Moderate
Belgium	0.7	0.46	0.7	–	2022	59 Low
Belize	1.24	–	1.24	–	2022	60 Moderate
Bermuda	3.09	–	3.09	–	2021	60 Moderate
Bhutan	0.51	0.51	–	–	2022	44 Low
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	–	–	(0.27)	–	–	No usable source
Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.63	–	0.63	–	2014	54 Low
Botswana	1.63	–	1.63	–	2021	60 Moderate
Brazil	0.45	–	0.45	–	2023	60 Moderate
British Virgin Islands	0	–	0	–	2021	60 Moderate
Brunei Darussalam	0.65	0.22	0.65	–	2024	53 Low
Bulgaria	1.13	1.76	1.13	–	2023	50 Low
Cabo Verde	0	–	0	–	2012	54 Low
Cambodia	0.32	0.32	–	–	2023	44 Low
Canada	0.54	0.42	0.54	–	2024	74 Moderate
Cayman Islands	0	–	0	–	2019	57 Low
Chile	1.78	–	1.78	–	2023	60 Moderate
China	0.08	0.08	–	–	2020	41 Low
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region	0.37	–	0.37	–	2024	63 Moderate
Colombia	0.25	–	0.25	–	2023	60 Moderate
Cook Islands	0	–	0	–	2023	60 Moderate
Costa Rica	0.44	0.6	0.44	–	2018	55 Low
Croatia	0.49	0.54	0.49	–	2023	74 Moderate
Cuba	0.35	–	0.35	–	2023	60 Moderate
Cyprus	0.11	0.54	0.11	–	2022	50 Low
Czechia	0.34	0.97	0.34	–	2023	50 Low
Denmark	0.88	0.98	0.88	–	2022	73 Moderate
Dominica	1.5	–	1.5	–	2022	60 Moderate
Dominican Republic	0.81	–	0.81	–	2022	60 Moderate
Ecuador	0.54	0.11	0.54	–	2022	50 Low
Egypt	0.18	0.22	0.18	–	2019	63 Moderate
El Salvador	0.82	–	0.82	–	2018	57 Low
Estonia	2.35	2.47	2.35	–	2024	80 High
Fiji	3.37	–	3.37	–	2019	57 Low
Finland	0.73	1.08	0.73	–	2024	54 Low
France	0.58	0.55	0.58	–	2022	77 Moderate
French Guiana	1.03	–	1.03	–	2022	60 Moderate
Georgia	2.16	1.14	2.16	–	2024	54 Low
Germany	0.39	0.45	0.39	–	2022	70 Moderate
Ghana	0.15	0.15	–	–	2022	44 Low
Greece	1.07	0.67	1.07	–	2022	57 Low
Grenada	0	–	0	–	2023	60 Moderate
Guadeloupe	0.79	–	0.79	–	2022	60 Moderate
Guatemala	0.59	–	0.59	–	2023	60 Moderate
Guyana	2.6	–	2.6	–	2020	57 Low
Haiti	–	–	(0.17)	–	–	No usable source
Honduras	–	–	(0.07)	–	–	No usable source
Hungary	1.11	0.99	1.11	–	2024	76 Moderate
Iceland	0.28	0.28	0.28	–	2021	80 High
India	0.48	0.48	–	–	2023	44 Low
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	1.14	–	1.14	–	2017	57 Low
Iraq	0.13	–	0.13	–	2016	57 Low
Ireland	0.33	0.38	0.33	–	2022	71 Moderate
Israel	0.32	0.36	0.32	–	2022	72 Moderate
Italy	0.43	0.48	0.43	–	2023	74 Moderate
Jamaica	0.14	1.49	0.14	–	2021	50 Low
Japan	0.83	1.21	0.83	–	2023	52 Low
Jordan	0.69	0.47	0.69	–	2023	61 Moderate
Kazakhstan	1.47	1.6	1.47	–	2024	77 Moderate
Kuwait	0.46	0.58	0.46	–	2018	61 Moderate
Kyrgyzstan	0.52	0.43	0.52	–	2023	69 Moderate
Laos	0.38	0.38	–	–	2005	38 Very low
Latvia	4.23	3.55	4.23	–	2024	73 Moderate
Lebanon	0.45	–	0.45	–	2023	60 Moderate
Libya	–	–	(0.03)	–	–	No usable source
Liechtenstein	0	0	–	–	2022	44 Low
Lithuania	2.29	2.95	2.29	–	2024	65 Moderate
Luxembourg	0	0	0	–	2021	80 High
Malaysia	0.35	0.35	(0.04)	–	2020	41 Low
Maldives	0.19	–	0.19	–	2021	60 Moderate
Malta	0	0.5	0	–	2022	54 Low
Martinique	0.56	–	0.56	–	2022	60 Moderate
Mauritius	2.25	1.11	2.25	–	2024	53 Low
Mayotte	0.33	–	0.33	–	2022	60 Moderate
Mexico	0.53	–	0.53	–	2023	60 Moderate
Micronesia (Federated States of)	0	–	0	–	2022	60 Moderate
Mongolia	0.99	1.75	0.99	–	2024	53 Low
Montenegro	0.96	–	0.96	–	2019	57 Low
Montserrat	0	–	0	–	2023	60 Moderate
Morocco	–	–	(0.18)	–	–	No usable source
Myanmar	0.14	0.14	–	–	2023	44 Low
Nepal	0.03	0.03	–	–	2018	41 Low
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)	0.2	0.19	0.2	–	2021	77 Moderate
New Zealand	0.22	0.23	0.22	–	2020	74 Moderate
Nicaragua	0.16	–	0.16	–	2022	60 Moderate
Nigeria	0.07	0.07	–	–	2020	41 Low
North Macedonia	0.38	0.49	0.38	–	2024	70 Moderate
Norway	0.56	0.7	0.56	–	2024	68 Moderate
Oman	0.04	–	0.04	–	2024	63 Moderate
Panama	0.36	0.14	0.36	–	2022	50 Low
Papua New Guinea	0.03	0.03	–	–	2022	44 Low
Paraguay	0.78	–	0.78	–	2022	60 Moderate
Peru	0.47	–	0.47	–	2022	60 Moderate
Philippines	0.42	0.38	0.42	–	2019	71 Moderate
Poland	1.28	1.28	1.28	–	2023	80 High
Portugal	0.52	0.52	0.52	–	2022	80 High
Puerto Rico	0.28	–	0.28	–	2023	60 Moderate
Qatar	0.53	0.59	0.53	–	2020	70 Moderate
Republic of Korea	0.45	0.55	0.45	–	2023	66 Moderate
Republic of Moldova	1.62	2.56	1.62	–	2021	50 Low
Réunion	0.46	–	0.46	–	2022	68 Moderate
Romania	2.65	1.5	2.65	–	2022	54 Low
Russian Federation	2.23	5.83	2.23	–	2019	47 Low
Saint Kitts and Nevis	0	–	0	–	2022	60 Moderate
Saint Lucia	1.12	–	1.12	–	2020	57 Low
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	0	–	0	–	2010	54 Low
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1.96	–	1.96	–	2022	60 Moderate
San Marino	0	–	0	–	2023	60 Moderate
Saudi Arabia	0.74	0.53	0.74	–	2024	76 Moderate
Serbia	1.38	1.5	1.38	–	2022	74 Moderate
Seychelles	1.01	–	1.01	–	2021	60 Moderate
Singapore	0.05	0.1	0.05	–	2022	50 Low
Slovakia	0.46	0.74	0.46	–	2024	53 Low
Slovenia	0.19	0.33	0.19	–	2024	53 Low
Solomon Islands	–	–	(0)	–	–	No usable source
South Africa	3.89	6.76	3.89	–	2020	50 Low
Spain	0.57	0.49	0.57	–	2022	71 Moderate
Sri Lanka	0.99	0.54	0.99	–	2019	53 Low
Suriname	1.22	–	1.22	–	2014	54 Low
Sweden	0.6	0.83	0.6	–	2024	60 Moderate
Switzerland	0.23	0.28	0.23	–	2023	67 Moderate
Syrian Arab Republic	0.49	0.49	(0)	–	2001	38 Very low
Taiwan	0.75	0.75	–	–	2024	47 Low
Tajikistan	0.38	0.18	0.38	–	2022	50 Low
Thailand	0.41	0.16	0.41	–	2023	54 Low
Trinidad and Tobago	0.74	–	0.74	–	2020	57 Low
Tunisia	1.19	–	1.19	–	2021	60 Moderate
Türkiye	0.27	0.49	0.27	–	2023	54 Low
Turkmenistan	0.64	–	0.64	–	2015	54 Low
Turks and Caicos Islands	–	–	(0)	–	–	No usable source
Ukraine	2.99	5.1	2.99	–	2019	47 Low
United Arab Emirates	0.16	0.17	0.16	–	2023	76 Moderate
United Kingdom	0.33	–	0.33	(0.49)	2024	63 Moderate
United Kingdom (England and Wales)	0.31	–	0.31	–	2024	63 Moderate
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)	0.47	–	0.47	–	2024	63 Moderate
United Kingdom (Scotland)	0.52	–	0.52	–	2024	63 Moderate
United States of America	0.98	0.91	0.98	–	2023	75 Moderate
United States Virgin Islands	2.33	–	2.33	–	2023	60 Moderate
Uruguay	0.83	4.49	0.83	–	2023	50 Low
Uzbekistan	0.76	0.12	0.76	–	2024	53 Low
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	0.61	–	0.61	–	2016	57 Low
Viet Nam	0.1	0.1	–	–	2024	47 Low

Each source's value links to its publisher; point at it for the source and year. A value in brackets is shown but doesn't count, and pointing at it says why. Retrieved 2026-10-25, 2026-11-02.

About this data

Every source on this page (3)

Who is behind the sources

74% International body
26% Think tank or advocacy group

Each publisher, its funding and its own description

World Health Organization (WHO) · International bodyFunding: Assessed contributions (membership dues) from member states, plus voluntary contributions from member states and other partners. sourceIn its own words: “…WHO is the United Nations agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health…” source, retrieved 2026-10-27
CTIF Center for Fire Statistics · Think tank or advocacy groupFunding: CTIF is a membership association; its national (ordinary) members pay an annual fee based on their population, and the Center for Fire Statistics is one of its working groups. sourceIn its own words: “This CTIF Working Group gathers data from fires world wide and collects them in PDF format reports” source, retrieved 2026-11-02

WHO Mortality Database, smoke, fire and flamesWorld Health Organization (WHO) (international body) · Death and health registersUsed for 141 countries; counts toward 132. Years 2003 to 2024. Retrieved 2026-10-25.Not counted where: too few deaths were registered that year for its rate to count (each row says how many); a rate this close to zero in a population this big reflects how deaths are coded.Open the publisher's page
CTIF World Fire Statistics, fire deathsCTIF Center for Fire Statistics (think tank or advocacy group) · Administrative recordsUsed for 89 countries; counts toward 89. Years 2001 to 2024. Retrieved 2026-11-02.Open one of its 8 pages (each row's sources list its own)
CTIF World Fire Statistics, fire deaths, "Great Britain" rowCTIF Center for Fire Statistics (think tank or advocacy group) · Administrative recordsUsed for 1 country; counts toward 0 (shown only). Years 2024. Retrieved 2026-11-02.Not counted where: this row sits on the United Kingdom row for reference, but whether it includes Northern Ireland is unknown, so it may not cover the same area as WHO's UK total.Open the publisher's page

Why the numbers differ (10)

Two kinds of record. WHO counts death certificates by underlying cause, coded by the national authority. CTIF counts the deaths that fire services record and report. A person can be in one record and not in the other. CTIF warns that each country has its own reporting rules and that they change.
Which fires count on a death certificate. ICD-10 X00-X09 includes forest fires and fire caused by lightning. It excludes arson (X97), fires following an explosion (W35-W40) and transport accidents (V01-V99), so someone who dies in a burning car after a crash is coded to the crash. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Which fires count in a fire service record. CTIF lists vehicle fires as a type of fire death: 510 of the 3,840 deaths in its table of fire types for the USA in 2024 (Report 31, Table 1.5, Distribution of fire deaths by type of fires in the countries of the World in 2024, PDF page 30). CTIF Report 10 (2005) also says Russia did not then record grass and rubbish fires, while the USA counted all fire incidents. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Intent. X00-X09 are accidents. Deaths coded to self-harm (X76), assault (X97) or undetermined intent (Y26) by smoke, fire and flames are left out of the WHO line, and the fire service count has no such split. For the 69 countries with 20 or more deaths and detailed codes, those deaths are a median 13.3% of all four groups together, highest in Cuba 65.8%, Argentina 55.9%, Uruguay 48.1%. Each line's notes give the count. (source, retrieved 2026-10-25)
Deaths after the fire. A death later on from an old injury is coded to the sequelae group (Y86 for accidents), outside X00-X09. The CTIF reports read for this page state no time limit for counting a death as a fire death, so that depends on each country's rules. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Smoke inhalation. ICD-10 puts smoke inhalation without further detail in X09, and carbon monoxide from smoke and fumes of a fire in X00-X09 (X47, accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, excludes it). A certificate that names only carbon monoxide and not a fire would fall in X47 and out of this count. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
CTIF's own comparison. CTIF Report 10 (2005, PDF pages 36-37) compared the two for 11 countries in 1996-2000 and found WHO figures higher by 9-10% on average, and differences in both directions in the former USSR republics. It says some accidents WHO counts are not fires, and its authors prefer fire service data; WHO's figures rest on medically certified deaths under one classification. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Largest gaps in the same year among the 60 countries with both, per 100,000 people: Uruguay (WHO 0.83, CTIF 4.49 in 2023), Russian Federation (WHO 2.23, CTIF 5.83 in 2019), Ukraine (WHO 2.99, CTIF 5.10 in 2019). (source, retrieved 2026-10-25)
Great Britain. CTIF labels its row Great Britain, and the reports opened for this page do not say whether Northern Ireland is included. It is shown on the United Kingdom row, but it is not counted in the score or in the same-year comparison.
Under-reporting. Where death registration is incomplete the WHO rate is too low, and each line says so. A country whose fire services cover only part of its territory will have a low CTIF rate.

Common mistakes (4)

Ranking countries on the CTIF rates as if they used one definition. CTIF says the rules differ by country and change over time. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Comparing these rates with WHO Global Health Estimates for "fire, heat and hot substances". That group covers X00-X19, so it adds burns from heat and hot substances, and it is modelled. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Reading a step in a series as a change in fires. ICD revisions and changes in what a country reports both move the line; each line lists the ones known under reporting changes.
Using the WHO and CTIF years as if the same people were counted twice over. They are two records of overlapping but different groups of deaths, and they should not be added.

Context (4)

WHO rating of death registration completeness and usability by country. Retrieved 2026-10-25.
ICD-10 entry for exposure to smoke, fire and flames, with what it includes and excludes. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
CTIF World Fire Statistics, all annual reports as free PDFs. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
CTIF Report 10, section 8: remarks on the reliability of fire death statistics, from the fire service side. Retrieved 2026-11-02.

Sources considered and not used (9)

IHME Global Burden of Disease: The GBD Results tool is a browser application with no public file on its page (checked 2 November 2026), and RealStats does not register for accounts. Its figures are estimates. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
Eurostat causes of death (hlth_cd_aro): Not a separate collection, since it comes from the same national death certificates, and its 92-item list has no fire item: X00-X09 sits inside "other accidents" (W20-W64, W75-X39, X50-X59, Y86). (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
WHO Global Health Estimates: Modelled from the registers already used here, and its nearest item, "fire, heat and hot substances", covers X00-X19, wider than fire. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
WHO Mortality Database, lists without a fire item: List UE1 (Portugal, 2004-2005), ICD-8 list 08B and the ICD-7 lists have no fire-only item, and list 09C (China) holds sub-national rows only, so those years have no WHO figure. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
CTIF rows that are not countries: Western Australia (from Report 31) and the state of Sao Paulo (Report 10) are states. They are not rates for Australia or Brazil. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
CTIF Reports 11, 12 and 13: Reports 11 and 12 have no trend table, and Report 13's table does not read reliably as text. Their years come from Reports 10 and 14, so 2002 is the Report 10 figure. (source, retrieved 2026-11-02)
WHO Mortality Database, Rodrigues and former entities: Rodrigues is part of Mauritius, and former entities such as the Netherlands Antilles are not current countries.
WHO Mortality Database, countries with no ICD-10 data: WHO's files hold ICD-9 or ICD-8 deaths for these countries but no year coded in ICD-10, so there is no recent WHO figure and the old years are not shown on their own: Albania, Kiribati, Macau, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Zimbabwe. (source, retrieved 2026-10-27)
WHO Mortality Database, some years: These have deaths but no population in WHO's file or UN World Population Prospects 2024, so no rate was computed: United Kingdom, Scotland. (source, retrieved 2026-10-25)

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Cite as: RealStats, “How many people die in fires in each country?”, updated 2026-11-02, with the original sources listed on the page. Scores use formula version 1.0.
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