China vs Japan: Deforestation embedded in trade
China
144,628 hectares
in 2023
Japan
44,879 hectares
in 2023
China rank
2nd
Japan rank
4th
Deforestation embedded in trade over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 144,628 hectares against 44,879 hectares in Japan, a difference of 99,749 hectares.
That makes China's figure about 3.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 4th of 178 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 103,652 hectares | 90,083 hectares | 13,570 hectares | China |
| 2010s | 264,657 hectares | 90,724 hectares | 173,934 hectares | China |
| 2020s | 186,198 hectares | 53,896 hectares | 132,302 hectares | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher deforestation embedded in trade, China or Japan?
- China, at 144,628 hectares against 44,879 hectares in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in deforestation embedded in trade between China and Japan?
- 99,749 hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for deforestation embedded in trade?
- China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 4th of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Deforestation embedded in trade. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Deforestation driven by imported goods minus exported goods from agriculture and forest plantations. Net importers of deforestation are countries who contribute to net deforestation in other countries – the deforestation that they cause in other countries is given as a positive value.