How have things changed? in Japan
Japan: How have things changed? was 3.65 million metric tons in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.65 million metric tons
Change on year
down 5.6%
World rank
12th
of 215 countries
All-time high
12.83 million metric tons
in 1988
All-time low
3.65 million metric tons
in 2024
Years of data
60
1965–2024
How have things changed? in Japan, 1965–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in metric tons.
Analysis
Japan recorded 3.65 million metric tons for how have things changed? in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, how have things changed? in Japan peaked at 12.83 million metric tons in 1988 and was at its lowest, 3.65 million metric tons, in 2024.
That places Japan 12th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
How have things changed? in Japan, year by year
| Year | metric tons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 6.98 million metric tons | — |
| 1966 | 7.20 million metric tons | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 8.00 million metric tons | +11.1% |
| 1968 | 8.74 million metric tons | +9.2% |
| 1969 | 8.67 million metric tons | -0.8% |
| 1970 | 9.36 million metric tons | +8.0% |
| 1971 | 9.97 million metric tons | +6.5% |
| 1972 | 10.34 million metric tons | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 10.78 million metric tons | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 10.86 million metric tons | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 10.57 million metric tons | -2.7% |
| 1976 | 10.71 million metric tons | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 10.79 million metric tons | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 10.86 million metric tons | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 10.62 million metric tons | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 11.15 million metric tons | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 11.41 million metric tons | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 11.50 million metric tons | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 12.01 million metric tons | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 12.82 million metric tons | +6.8% |
| 1985 | 12.15 million metric tons | -5.2% |
| 1986 | 12.80 million metric tons | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 12.57 million metric tons | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 12.83 million metric tons | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 12.03 million metric tons | -6.2% |
| 1990 | 11.19 million metric tons | -7.0% |
| 1991 | 10.08 million metric tons | -9.9% |
| 1992 | 9.37 million metric tons | -7.0% |
| 1993 | 8.81 million metric tons | -6.0% |
| 1994 | 8.21 million metric tons | -6.8% |
| 1995 | 7.55 million metric tons | -8.0% |
| 1996 | 7.47 million metric tons | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 7.44 million metric tons | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 6.73 million metric tons | -9.5% |
| 1999 | 6.65 million metric tons | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 6.50 million metric tons | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 6.17 million metric tons | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 5.91 million metric tons | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 6.12 million metric tons | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 5.73 million metric tons | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 5.71 million metric tons | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 5.69 million metric tons | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 5.73 million metric tons | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 5.64 million metric tons | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 5.49 million metric tons | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 5.35 million metric tons | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 4.79 million metric tons | -10.5% |
| 2012 | 4.83 million metric tons | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 4.77 million metric tons | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 4.76 million metric tons | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 4.61 million metric tons | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 4.37 million metric tons | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 4.30 million metric tons | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 4.42 million metric tons | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 4.21 million metric tons | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 4.27 million metric tons | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 4.20 million metric tons | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 3.92 million metric tons | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 3.87 million metric tons | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 3.65 million metric tons | -5.6% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 3.65 million metric tons is above the median for high income countries, which is 19,758 metric tons, 184.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 3.65 million metric tons is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 96,821 metric tons, 37.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.92 million metric tons | 6.98 million metric tons | 8.74 million metric tons | 5 |
| 1970s | 10.49 million metric tons | 9.36 million metric tons | 10.86 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.13 million metric tons | 11.15 million metric tons | 12.83 million metric tons | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.35 million metric tons | 6.65 million metric tons | 11.19 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.87 million metric tons | 5.49 million metric tons | 6.50 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.64 million metric tons | 4.21 million metric tons | 5.35 million metric tons | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.98 million metric tons | 3.65 million metric tons | 4.27 million metric tons | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is how have things changed? in Japan?
- How have things changed? in Japan was 3.65 million metric tons in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest how have things changed? recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 12.83 million metric tons in 1988.
- What is the lowest how have things changed? recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.65 million metric tons in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for how have things changed??
- Japan ranks 12th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is how have things changed? rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of How have things changed?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Change captured by a range of socioeconomic and environmental indicators, measured relative to the first year.