Beach litter in Canada

Canada: Beach litter was 163,600 number in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
163,600 number
Change on year
down 54.0%
World rank
42nd
of 71 countries
All-time high
355,422 number
in 2021
All-time low
1,525 number
in 2015
Years of data
6
2015–2022

Beach litter in Canada, 2015–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k2015201820222015: 1.5k number2016: 194.2k number2017: 333.3k number2018: 328.4k number2021: 355.4k number2022: 163.6k number

Source: United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2022, beach litter in Canada stood at 163,600 number.

The figure is down 54.0% on the previous year and up 10,628.8% over ten years.

Canada ranks 42nd of 71 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Beach litter in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter in Canada, 2015 to 2022.
Year number Change
2015 1,525 number
2016 194,241 number +12638.2%
2017 333,327 number +71.6%
2018 328,376 number -1.5%
2021 355,422 number +8.2%
2022 163,600 number -54.0%

Canada compared with similar countries

  • Canada's 163,600 number is above the median for high income countries, which is 159,732 number, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 214,367 number 1,525 number 333,327 number 4
2020s 259,511 number 163,600 number 355,422 number 2

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 39 Bermuda 180,301 number compare
  2. 40 Japan 170,673 number compare
  3. 41 Vietnam 165,576 number compare
  4. 43 Northern Mariana Islands 159,883 number compare
  5. 44 Chile 159,732 number compare
  6. 45 Trinidad and Tobago 158,046 number compare

See the full ranking of 71 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter in Canada?
Beach litter in Canada was 163,600 number in 2022, according to United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest beach litter recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 355,422 number in 2021.
What is the lowest beach litter recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 1,525 number in 2015.
How does Canada rank for beach litter?
Canada ranks 42nd out of 71 countries with data for 2022.
Is beach litter rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 10,628.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Beach litter. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beach litter in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/beach-litter/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Beach litter
Unit
number
Source
United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
71 places, 425 data points, 2015–2023
Last refreshed

Beach litter per square kilometer (Number).