emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan
Japan: emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre was 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022. ▼ Falling
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan, 1961–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
Japan recorded 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan peaked at 28.21 tonnes per square kilometre in 1977 and was at its lowest, 7.98 tonnes per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Japan 54th out of 207 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 7.98 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 8.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 8.74 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.0% |
| 1964 | 9.24 tonnes per square kilometre | +5.7% |
| 1965 | 12.08 tonnes per square kilometre | +30.7% |
| 1966 | 13.91 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.2% |
| 1967 | 16.11 tonnes per square kilometre | +15.8% |
| 1968 | 18.39 tonnes per square kilometre | +14.1% |
| 1969 | 20.81 tonnes per square kilometre | +13.2% |
| 1970 | 24.75 tonnes per square kilometre | +18.9% |
| 1971 | 25.21 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 26.1 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 27.77 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.4% |
| 1974 | 26.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 1975 | 26.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 27.41 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 28.21 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 27.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 27.89 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 26.99 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 1981 | 26.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.6% |
| 1982 | 24.98 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.0% |
| 1983 | 23.92 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 23.45 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 22.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 21.6 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 21.38 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 21.54 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 22.46 tonnes per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 23.97 tonnes per square kilometre | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 22.58 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.8% |
| 1992 | 21.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 20.71 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 20.53 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 20.96 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 21.16 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 21.23 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 20.79 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 21.16 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 21.52 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 21.18 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 20.72 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 20.08 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 19.1 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 18.3 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 17.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 17.03 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 15.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.0% |
| 2009 | 13.92 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.2% |
| 2010 | 12.99 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 2011 | 12.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 12.34 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 12.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 11.5 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 11.11 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 10.69 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 10.32 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 9.95 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 9.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 8.47 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 8.52 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.78 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.2× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Japan's 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.29 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | +30.7% | 9.24 tonnes per square kilometre | 12.08 tonnes per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 12.83 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.98 tonnes per square kilometre | 20.81 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 26.78 tonnes per square kilometre | 24.75 tonnes per square kilometre | 28.21 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.49 tonnes per square kilometre | 21.38 tonnes per square kilometre | 26.99 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 20.53 tonnes per square kilometre | 23.97 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.49 tonnes per square kilometre | 13.92 tonnes per square kilometre | 21.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.32 tonnes per square kilometre | 9.39 tonnes per square kilometre | 12.99 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.46 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 51 United States Virgin Islands 9.32 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 52 Cambodia 9.08 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 53 Kuwait 8.57 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 55 South Korea 8.13 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 56 Dominican Republic 8.05 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 57 Luxembourg 8.05 tonnes per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for Japan
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 337.64 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 12,181 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 3,633 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 8,547 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 13.71 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 305.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 9,462 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,401 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 7,061 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 9.06 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in Japan was 8.4 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 28.21 tonnes per square kilometre in 1977.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.98 tonnes per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Japan rank for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre?
- Japan ranks 54th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.