China, mainland vs Japan: Recovered paper — Production

China, mainland
69.72 million t
in 2024
Japan
16.66 million t
in 2024
China, mainland rank
2nd
Japan rank
3rd

Recovered paper — Production over time

  • China, mainland
  • Japan
020.0M40.0M60.0M196119922024

How they compare

China, mainland currently reports 69.72 million t against 16.66 million t in Japan, a difference of 53.05 million t.

That makes China, mainland's figure about 4.2 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Japan ahead.

China, mainland ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 155 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, China, mainland averaged higher in 2 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade China, mainland Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 667,600 t 5.94 million t 5.27 million t Japan
1980s 1.92 million t 10.01 million t 8.09 million t Japan
1990s 7.31 million t 14.93 million t 7.62 million t Japan
2000s 20.14 million t 21.18 million t 1.04 million t Japan
2010s 47.30 million t 21.28 million t 26.02 million t China, mainland
2020s 64.67 million t 17.77 million t 46.90 million t China, mainland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher recovered paper — production, China, mainland or Japan?
China, mainland, at 69.72 million t against 16.66 million t in Japan as of 2024.
What is the difference in recovered paper — production between China, mainland and Japan?
53.05 million t, with China, mainland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China, mainland and Japan?
55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
How do China, mainland and Japan rank globally for recovered paper — production?
China, mainland ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 155 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Recovered paper — Production. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China, mainland vs Japan: Recovered paper — Production. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/recovered-paper-production/china-mainland/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Recovered paper — Production
Unit
t
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
185 places, 7,582 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

The database contains data on the production and trade in roundwood and in primary wood and paper products for all countries and territories in the world.The main types of primary forest products included in this database are roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, pulp, and paper and paperboard. These products are detailed further and defined in the Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ) (https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en). The database contains details of the following topics: - roundwood removals (production) by coniferous and non-coniferous wood and assortments, - production and trade in industrial roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, wood charcoal, pulp, paper and paperboard, and other products. More detailed information on wood products, including definitions, can be found at: https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en