China vs United States: Imported deforestation
China
231,151 hectares
in 2023
United States
198,489 hectares
in 2023
China rank
1st
United States rank
2nd
Imported deforestation over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 231,151 hectares against 198,489 hectares in United States, a difference of 32,662 hectares.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 19 shared years of data; in 2005 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 178 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 191,935 hectares | 201,429 hectares | 9,494 hectares | United States |
| 2010s | 339,793 hectares | 215,522 hectares | 124,271 hectares | China |
| 2020s | 273,247 hectares | 212,513 hectares | 60,734 hectares | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher imported deforestation, China or United States?
- China, at 231,151 hectares against 198,489 hectares in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in imported deforestation between China and United States?
- 32,662 hectares, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
- How do China and United States rank globally for imported deforestation?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 178 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Imported deforestation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imported deforestation is the amount of deforestation in other countries that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are imported. This is measured in hectares.