Photo: JurriaanH · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 13 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Japan: Food & Agriculture
What does a country grow, and what does it take to grow it?
Japan is placed 5th of 184 countries on food & agriculture in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy) 4.17 (2024); Cereal Yield 6,245 (2023).
Share
Food & Agriculture
5th
of 184 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
- 4.17Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy), 2024Current status score, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), averaged over up to seven sub-indicators
- 6,245Cereal Yield, 2023Cereal yield (kg per hectare)
- —Dietary Energy Supply, 2024No reading for this country
- —Agriculture Orientation Index, 2024No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Japan on food & agriculture — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
4.17
Current status score, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), averaged over up to seven sub-indicators
Higher is better
Japan: 4.17. Across the 186 countries in this edition, values run from 1.67 (Tuvalu) to 4.57 (Italy); the world median is 3.14.
- World median
- 3.14
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 4.17 China and Japan
Key 2 of 4
Cereal Yield
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 4.0
6,245
Cereal yield (kg per hectare)
Higher is better
Japan: 6,245. Across the 179 countries in this edition, values run from 23 (Cabo Verde) to 29,147 (Oman); the world median is 3,072.
- World median
- 3,072
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 6,615 South Korea
Key 3 of 4
Dietary Energy Supply
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
Dietary energy supply (kcal per person per day)
Higher is better
FAO publishes no 2024 figure for Japan, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 155 countries in this edition, values run from 1,757 (Somalia) to 3,962 (United States); the world median is 2,982.
- World median
- 2,982
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 3,504 China
Key 4 of 4
Agriculture Orientation Index
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size)
Higher is better
FAO publishes no 2024 figure for Japan, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 132 countries in this edition, values run from 0.03 (Ghana) to 5.38 (Singapore); the world median is 0.305.
- World median
- 0.305
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0.95 China
02Over time
Which way Japan is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy)
Current status score, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), averaged over up to seven sub-indicators · higher is better
JapanWorld median
Japan was at 4.17 in both 2015 and 2024; the world median went from 3.14 to 3.14.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2024 4.2 3.1 2023 4.2 3.1 2022 4.0 3.2 2021 4.0 3.1 2020 4.0 3.1 2019 4.0 3.1 2018 4.0 3.2 2017 4.2 3.1 2016 4.0 3.1 2015 4.2 3.1 Cereal Yield
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) · higher is better
JapanWorld median
Japan fell from 6,257 in 2000 to 6,245 in 2023; the world median went from 2,170 to 3,072.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2023 6,245 3,072 2022 6,320 3,217 2021 6,417 3,003 2020 6,230 3,260 2019 6,296 3,106 2018 6,132 2,883 2017 6,285 2,984 2016 6,253 3,043 2015 6,317 3,000 2014 6,325 3,001 2013 6,282 2,970 2012 6,249 2,782 2011 6,011 2,754 2010 5,854 2,647 2009 5,920 2,653 2008 6,262 2,664 2007 6,062 2,553 2006 5,852 2,514 2005 6,154 2,512 2004 5,942 2,428 2003 5,451 2,331 2002 6,086 2,378 2001 6,107 2,199 2000 6,257 2,170 Agriculture Orientation Index
Agriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size) · higher is better
JapanWorld median
Japan rose from 1.82 in 2001 to 2.04 in 2023; the world median went from 0.36 to 0.305.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2024 — 0.305 2023 2.04 0.305 2022 2.10 0.290 2021 2.06 0.260 2020 1.95 0.255 2019 2.16 0.265 2018 2.13 0.270 2017 2.00 0.260 2016 1.92 0.285 2015 2.18 0.305 2014 2.29 0.300 2013 2.29 0.285 2012 2.10 0.330 2011 2.15 0.290 2010 2.11 0.320 2009 2.14 0.370 2008 2.27 0.390 2007 2.30 0.410 2006 2.22 0.355 2005 2.40 0.325 2004 1.98 0.320 2003 1.89 0.320 2002 1.80 0.340 2001 1.82 0.360
03In context
Japan beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 184 countries on food & agriculture, never a place within the region.
Japan and Eastern Asia
Japan has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 184; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy)Current status score, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), averaged over up to seven sub-indicators | Cereal YieldCereal yield (kg per hectare) | Dietary Energy SupplyDietary energy supply (kcal per person per day) | Agriculture Orientation IndexAgriculture orientation index (1.0 = spending matches sector size) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 5th | 4.17 | 6,245 | — | — |
 Chinacompare | 6th | 4.17 | 6,418 | 3,504 | 0.95 |
 South Koreacompare | 32nd | 3.29 | 6,615 | 3,419 | — |
 North Korea | 49th | 3.67 | 3,539 | — | — |
 Hong Kong | 137th | 2.83 | 2,059 | — | — |
 Mongolia | 138th | 2.29 | 1,296 | 3,027 | 0.3 |
 Macau | not placed | — | — | — | — |
 Taiwan | not placed | — | — | 2,974 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 184.
Placed either side on food & agriculture
The countries immediately above and below Japan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Japan is ahead of the world, and behind
18 more statistics filed under food & agriculture, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Japan does better than the middle country measured.
Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 4.91.44.9▼ Worsened since 2017
Japan: 1.4 · world median 4.9 · Population in severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 62.9; lower is better.
Position 108th of 119 · derived, 1st = worst.
Agricultural Emissions IntensityFAO · 2023 · world median 1.5650.851.565No real change since 2013
Japan: 0.85 · world median 1.565 · Greenhouse gases from farming per value of agricultural output (kg CO₂eq per international dollar). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 28.2; lower is better.
Position 150th of 190 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Japan does worse than the middle country measured.
Livestock Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 107.06104.84107.06▲ Improved since 2012
Japan: 104.84 · world median 107.06 · Livestock production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 35.52 to 190.08; higher is better.
Position 107th of 194 · derived.
Organic Agricultural AreaFAO · 2024 · world median 0.7250.480.725▲ Improved since 2014
Japan: 0.48 · world median 0.725 · Organic share of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 86.38; higher is better.
Position 87th of 150 · derived.
Food Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.08100.27106.08▼ Worsened since 2012
Japan: 100.27 · world median 106.08 · Food production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 71.08 to 177.49; higher is better.
Position 142nd of 195 · derived.
Crop Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.2394.6106.23▼ Worsened since 2012
Japan: 94.6 · world median 106.23 · Crop production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 53.79 to 189.93; higher is better.
Position 152nd of 195 · derived.
No better end12
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Fisheries and Aquaculture ProductionFAO · 2024 · world median 52,3753,334,04852,375No real change since 2014
Japan: 3,334,048 · world median 52,375 · Fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals caught or farmed, tonnes (live weight). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 70,500,841.
Agricultural Irrigated LandFAO · 2023 · world median 3.6632.33.66No earlier reading
Japan: 32.3 · world median 3.66 · Irrigated share of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 89.04.
Position 8th of 121 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Livestock DensityFAO · 2023 · world median 0.5351.960.535No real change since 2013
Japan: 1.96 · world median 0.535 · Livestock units per hectare of agricultural land. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 43.97.
Position 21st of 188 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 2024 · world median 1.7310.061.73Moved since 2014
Japan: 10.06 · world median 1.73 · Pesticide use (kg per hectare of cropland). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.72.
Position 29th of 178 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Fertilizer Consumption per HectareFAO · 2023 · world median 87.36202.8487.36No real change since 2013
Japan: 202.84 · world median 87.36 · Fertilizer consumption (kg per hectare of arable land). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,926.
Position 34th of 188 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Agricultural EmissionsFAO · 2023 · world median 8,63544,0508,635No real change since 2013
Japan: 44,050 · world median 8,635 · Farm-gate emissions (kt CO₂eq). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1,044,508.
Position 38th of 193 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Land Under Cereal ProductionFAO · 2023 · world median 689,2781,841,210689,278Moved since 2013
Japan: 1,841,210 · world median 689,278 · Land under cereal production (hectares). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 103,715,108.
Position 60th of 179 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Cropland Nitrogen BalanceFAO · 2023 · world median 37.6353.8637.63Moved since 2013
Japan: 53.86 · world median 37.63 · Nitrogen surplus (+) or deficit (−) on cropland, kg per hectare. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -555.52 to 1,199.
Water Withdrawal by SectorFAO · 2022 · world median 62.1466.6762.14No real change since 2012
Japan: 66.67 · world median 62.14 · Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 99.48.
Position 81st of 171 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Arable Land per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 0.1090.0320.109No real change since 2013
Japan: 0.032 · world median 0.109 · Arable land (hectares per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1.459.
Position 157th of 206 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Employment in AgricultureILO · 2025 · world median 14.382.81414.38Moved since 2015
Japan: 2.814 · world median 14.38 · Employment in agriculture (% of total employment). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.095 to 85.34.
Position 144th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Agricultural LandFAO · 2023 · world median 37.9612.6437.96No real change since 2013
Japan: 12.64 · world median 37.96 · Agricultural land (% of land area). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.445 to 86.48.
Position 171st of 209 · derived, counted from the highest value.
No current reading for Japan
Agriculture Orientation Index (last 2023), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP) (last 2024), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added per Worker (last 2024), Cereal Import Dependency Ratio (last 2008), Dietary Energy Supply, Fish and Seafood Supply per Person, Fruit Supply per Person, Global Report on Food Crises, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Meat Supply per Person, Per Capita Food Supply Variability, Prevalence of Undernourishment, Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and Tubers (last 2008), Vegetable Supply per Person and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Food & Agriculture among Japan’s 15 topics
Food & Agriculture is Japan’s 3rd best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Work & Labour2nd of 1824/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation2nd of 1764/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture5th of 1842/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing7th of 2003/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 9th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 10th of 1944/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge13th of 1982/4 keys
- Peace & Security12th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital18th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade25th of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties28th of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience55th of 1934/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality56th of 1593/3 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 116th of 1834/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability161st of 1864/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on food & agriculture
The three countries placed highest of 184, and the leaders Japan can most readily be measured against.
1
SerbiaSouthern Europe
1st of 184 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Lošmi derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
AustriaWestern Europe
2nd of 184 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0, greyscale
3
MaltaSouthern Europe
3rd of 184 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Japan5th2/4 keys
Positions out of 184 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Japan on food & agriculture: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Japan rank on food & agriculture?
Japan is placed 5th of 184 countries on Food & Agriculture in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy) and Cereal Yield). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy) figure for Japan?
4.17 in 2024 (current status score, from 1 (worst) to 5 (best), averaged over up to seven sub-indicators), according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The world median in the same edition was 3.14.
What is the latest Cereal Yield figure for Japan?
6,245 in 2023 (cereal yield (kg per hectare)), according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The world median in the same edition was 3,072.
How have Japan’s food & agriculture figures changed?
Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy) was 4.17 in both 2015 and 2024; Cereal Yield fell from 6,257 in 2000 to 6,245 in 2023; Agriculture Orientation Index rose from 1.82 in 2001 to 2.04 in 2023.
Which food & agriculture statistics are missing for Japan?
No current reading is published for Japan on Agriculture Orientation Index, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added per Worker, Cereal Import Dependency Ratio, Dietary Energy Supply, Fish and Seafood Supply per Person, Fruit Supply per Person, Global Report on Food Crises, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Meat Supply per Person, Per Capita Food Supply Variability, Prevalence of Undernourishment, Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and Tubers, Vegetable Supply per Person and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
This subject is about production and land use, not about whether people are fed. Hunger, undernourishment and what a population actually eats are measured under Health & Wellbeing, and the two regularly disagree — a country can grow a great deal and still leave many people short, and one that grows little can be well fed by trade. The wider environmental cost of farming — emissions, water withdrawal, forest cover — is filed under Environment & Sustainability.
How the Food & Agriculture standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The food & agriculture method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Progress Toward Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (SDG 2.4.1 Proxy) — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
- Cereal Yield — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
- Dietary Energy Supply — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
- Agriculture Orientation Index — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 18 statistics on this page come from 2 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Japan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Japan (banner) — JurriaanH, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Serbia — Lošmi derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Austria — chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Malta — Dirk Heldmaier derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Japan: Food & Agriculture — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/japan/food