Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Japan
Japan: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires was 2,802 tonnes in 2026. ▲ Rising
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires in Japan, 2003–2026
Source: Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Japan recorded 2,802 tonnes for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in 2026. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of down 83.0% on the previous year and down 81.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Japan peaked at 22,399 tonnes in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2,802 tonnes, in 2026.
That places Japan 93rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11,653 tonnes | 9,692 tonnes | 13,106 tonnes | 7 |
| 2010s | 16,884 tonnes | 13,094 tonnes | 22,399 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,749 tonnes | 2,802 tonnes | 20,012 tonnes | 7 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More climate change data for Japan
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.8% (2100)
- Population growth -0.5% (2025)
- Population, total 123.37 million (2025)
- Urban population growth -0.4% (2025)
- Urban population 113.87 million (2025)
- Urban population 92.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 69.61 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 7.77 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Japan?
- Annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires in Japan was 2,802 tonnes in 2026, according to Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 22,399 tonnes in 2019.
- What is the lowest annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,802 tonnes in 2026.
- How does Japan rank for annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires?
- Japan ranks 93rd out of 248 countries with data for 2026.
- Is annual pm2.5 emissions from wildfires rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Global Wildfire Information System (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
PM2.5 emissions represent the quantity of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) released by wildfires, in tonnes. The 2026 data is incomplete and was last updated 07 August 2026.