Deforestation embedded in trade in Japan
Japan: Deforestation embedded in trade was 44,879 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Deforestation embedded in trade in Japan, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
Japan recorded 44,879 hectares for deforestation embedded in trade in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 53.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deforestation embedded in trade in Japan peaked at 101,002 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 44,879 hectares, in 2023.
That places Japan 4th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Deforestation embedded in trade in Japan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 89,136 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 87,429 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 87,633 hectares | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 90,904 hectares | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 95,312 hectares | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 93,820 hectares | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 92,023 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 101,002 hectares | +9.8% |
| 2013 | 95,435 hectares | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 89,113 hectares | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 82,886 hectares | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 91,361 hectares | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 90,352 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 90,040 hectares | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 81,204 hectares | -9.8% |
| 2020 | 64,185 hectares | -21.0% |
| 2021 | 59,881 hectares | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 46,638 hectares | -22.1% |
| 2023 | 44,879 hectares | -3.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 44,879 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,387 hectares, 18.8× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Japan's 44,879 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -332.56 hectares. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 90,083 hectares | 87,429 hectares | 95,312 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 90,724 hectares | 81,204 hectares | 101,002 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 53,896 hectares | 44,879 hectares | 64,185 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 1 United States 191,046 hectares compare
- 2 China 144,628 hectares compare
- 3 Germany 47,928 hectares compare
- 5 United Kingdom 29,101 hectares compare
- 6 France 27,984 hectares compare
- 7 South Korea 27,726 hectares compare
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 deforestation embedded in trade in Japan?
- Deforestation embedded in trade in Japan was 44,879 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 101,002 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest deforestation embedded in trade recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 44,879 hectares in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for deforestation embedded in trade?
- Japan ranks 4th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is deforestation embedded in trade rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deforestation embedded in trade. 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
Deforestation driven by imported goods minus exported goods from agriculture and forest plantations. Net importers of deforestation are countries who contribute to net deforestation in other countries – the deforestation that they cause in other countries is given as a positive value.