Agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan
Japan: Agriculture-driven deforestation was 461.32 hectares in 2024. ▼ Falling
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan, 2001–2024
Source: Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Japan recorded 461.32 hectares for agriculture-driven deforestation in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.9% on the previous year and down 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan peaked at 1,417 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 354.79 hectares, in 2020.
That places Japan 86th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,063 hectares | — |
| 2002 | 816.8 hectares | -23.1% |
| 2003 | 521.6 hectares | -36.1% |
| 2004 | 1,083 hectares | +107.7% |
| 2005 | 890.15 hectares | -17.8% |
| 2006 | 944.33 hectares | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 997.55 hectares | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 1,007 hectares | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 1,076 hectares | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 821.92 hectares | -23.6% |
| 2011 | 907.69 hectares | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 1,417 hectares | +56.1% |
| 2013 | 419.91 hectares | -70.4% |
| 2014 | 689.56 hectares | +64.2% |
| 2015 | 490.18 hectares | -28.9% |
| 2016 | 944.66 hectares | +92.7% |
| 2017 | 749.54 hectares | -20.7% |
| 2018 | 608.15 hectares | -18.9% |
| 2019 | 514.9 hectares | -15.3% |
| 2020 | 354.79 hectares | -31.1% |
| 2021 | 386.28 hectares | +8.9% |
| 2022 | 376.39 hectares | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 398.18 hectares | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 461.32 hectares | +15.9% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 461.32 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 66.13 hectares, 7.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Japan's 461.32 hectares is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,101 hectares, 42% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 933.27 hectares | 521.6 hectares | 1,083 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 756.36 hectares | 419.91 hectares | 1,417 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 395.39 hectares | 354.79 hectares | 461.32 hectares | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.4957 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan?
- Agriculture-driven deforestation in Japan was 461.32 hectares in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1,417 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest agriculture-driven deforestation recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 354.79 hectares in 2020.
- How does Japan rank for agriculture-driven deforestation?
- Japan ranks 86th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is agriculture-driven deforestation rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Agriculture-driven deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Long-term, permanent tree cover loss for small- to large-scale agriculture.