Imported deforestation in Japan
Japan: Imported deforestation was 44,920 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Imported deforestation in Japan, 2005–2023
Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, imported deforestation in Japan stood at 44,920 hectares. 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, imported deforestation in Japan peaked at 101,053 hectares in 2012 and was at its lowest, 44,920 hectares, in 2023.
Japan ranks 5th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Imported deforestation in Japan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 89,149 hectares | — |
| 2006 | 87,448 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 87,654 hectares | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 90,934 hectares | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 95,340 hectares | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 93,861 hectares | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 92,062 hectares | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 101,053 hectares | +9.8% |
| 2013 | 95,480 hectares | -5.5% |
| 2014 | 89,167 hectares | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 82,930 hectares | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 91,399 hectares | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 90,385 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 90,080 hectares | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 81,238 hectares | -9.8% |
| 2020 | 64,232 hectares | -20.9% |
| 2021 | 59,937 hectares | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 46,678 hectares | -22.1% |
| 2023 | 44,920 hectares | -3.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 44,920 hectares is above the median for high income countries, which is 2,937 hectares, 15.3× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Japan's 44,920 hectares is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,593 hectares, 17.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 90,105 hectares | 87,448 hectares | 95,340 hectares | 5 |
| 2010s | 90,765 hectares | 81,238 hectares | 101,053 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 53,942 hectares | 44,920 hectares | 64,232 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 2 United States 198,489 hectares compare
- 3 India 55,698 hectares compare
- 4 Germany 48,137 hectares compare
- 6 United Kingdom 29,134 hectares compare
- 7 France 28,283 hectares compare
- 8 South Korea 27,738 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 imported deforestation in Japan?
- Imported deforestation in Japan was 44,920 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest imported deforestation recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 101,053 hectares in 2012.
- What is the lowest imported deforestation recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 44,920 hectares in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for imported deforestation?
- Japan ranks 5th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is imported deforestation 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 Imported deforestation. 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
Imported deforestation is the amount of deforestation in other countries that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are imported. This is measured in hectares.