Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia

Malaysia: Consumption-based deforestation per person was 12.47 square meters in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
12.47 square meters
Change on year
down 10.4%
World rank
26th
of 178 countries
All-time high
33.11 square meters
in 2012
All-time low
12.47 square meters
in 2023
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia, 2005–2023

01020302005201420232005: 16.8 square meters2006: 20 square meters2007: 21.2 square meters2008: 26.2 square meters2009: 30.8 square meters2010: 32.5 square meters2011: 32.8 square meters2012: 33.1 square meters2013: 32.4 square meters2014: 30.4 square meters2015: 26.6 square meters2016: 27.2 square meters2017: 25 square meters2018: 25.8 square meters2019: 22.9 square meters2020: 22.7 square meters2021: 17.5 square meters2022: 13.9 square meters2023: 12.5 square meters

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in square meters.

Analysis

In 2023, consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia stood at 12.47 square meters. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.4% on the previous year and down 61.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia peaked at 33.11 square meters in 2012 and was at its lowest, 12.47 square meters, in 2023.

That places Malaysia 26th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.02 square meters 16.82 square meters 30.84 square meters 5
2010s 28.88 square meters 22.89 square meters 33.11 square meters 10
2020s 16.66 square meters 12.47 square meters 22.72 square meters 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 23 Chile 13.85 square meters compare
  2. 24 Ghana 13.05 square meters compare
  3. 25 Argentina 12.88 square meters compare
  4. 27 Ecuador 11.97 square meters compare
  5. 28 Congo 11.93 square meters compare
  6. 29 Equatorial Guinea 11.25 square meters compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia?
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia was 12.47 square meters in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 33.11 square meters in 2012.
What is the lowest consumption-based deforestation per person recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 12.47 square meters in 2023.
How does Malaysia rank for consumption-based deforestation per person?
Malaysia ranks 26th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is consumption-based deforestation per person rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Consumption-based deforestation per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Consumption-based deforestation per person
Unit
square meters
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

Estimated average deforestation for agricultural and forestry products, per person. This is adjusted for trade, so it reflects deforestation caused by consumption, not domestic production.