Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia
Malaysia: Consumption-based deforestation per person was 12.47 square meters in 2023. ▼ Falling
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia, 2005–2023
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.
Consumption-based deforestation per person in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | square meters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 16.82 square meters | — |
| 2006 | 20.03 square meters | +19.1% |
| 2007 | 21.21 square meters | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 26.22 square meters | +23.6% |
| 2009 | 30.84 square meters | +17.6% |
| 2010 | 32.5 square meters | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 32.79 square meters | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 33.11 square meters | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 32.43 square meters | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 30.42 square meters | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 26.64 square meters | -12.4% |
| 2016 | 27.21 square meters | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 25.01 square meters | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 25.8 square meters | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 22.89 square meters | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 22.72 square meters | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 17.51 square meters | -22.9% |
| 2022 | 13.92 square meters | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 12.47 square meters | -10.4% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 12.47 square meters is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.42 square meters, 2.8× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 12.47 square meters is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.83 square meters, 2.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More environment data for Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % 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 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.