Annual precipitation in Japan

Japan: Annual precipitation was 1,642 millimeters in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
1,642 millimeters
Change on year
down 16.0%
World rank
42nd
of 192 countries
All-time high
2,346 millimeters
in 1972
All-time low
1,147 millimeters
in 1943
Years of data
86
1940–2025

Annual precipitation in Japan, 1940–2025

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k194019822025

Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in millimeters.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual precipitation in Japan is 1,642 millimeters, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.0% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual precipitation in Japan peaked at 2,346 millimeters in 1972 and was at its lowest, 1,147 millimeters, in 1943.

Japan ranks 42nd of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 1,435 millimeters 1,147 millimeters 1,956 millimeters 10
1950s 1,727 millimeters 1,515 millimeters 1,884 millimeters 10
1960s 1,772 millimeters 1,632 millimeters 1,982 millimeters 10
1970s 1,906 millimeters 1,574 millimeters 2,346 millimeters 10
1980s 1,723 millimeters 1,375 millimeters 2,038 millimeters 10
1990s 1,754 millimeters 1,377 millimeters 2,037 millimeters 10
2000s 1,697 millimeters 1,489 millimeters 1,943 millimeters 10
2010s 1,836 millimeters 1,741 millimeters 1,931 millimeters 10
2020s 1,819 millimeters 1,642 millimeters 1,966 millimeters 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 39 Guatemala 1,721 millimeters compare
  2. 40 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1,677 millimeters compare
  3. 41 Honduras 1,668 millimeters compare
  4. 43 New Zealand 1,631 millimeters compare
  5. 44 Guinea-Bissau 1,621 millimeters compare
  6. 45 Belize 1,620 millimeters compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual precipitation in Japan?
Annual precipitation in Japan was 1,642 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 2,346 millimeters in 1972.
What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 1,147 millimeters in 1943.
How does Japan rank for annual precipitation?
Japan ranks 42nd out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual precipitation rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual precipitation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual precipitation
Unit
millimeters
Source
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
192 places, 16,512 data points, 1940–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.