Beach litter in New Zealand

New Zealand: Beach litter was 69,581 number in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
69,581 number
Change on year
up 1,337.2%
World rank
55th
of 71 countries
All-time high
281,449 number
in 2016
All-time low
4,841 number
in 2021
Years of data
5
2016–2022

Beach litter in New Zealand, 2016–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2016201920222016: 281.4k number2017: 24.1k number2018: 281.2k number2021: 4.8k number2022: 69.6k number

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

Analysis

In 2022, beach litter in New Zealand stood at 69,581 number.

The figure is up 1,337.2% on the previous year and down 75.3% over ten years.

That places New Zealand 55th out of 71 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 195,578 number 24,073 number 281,449 number 3
2020s 37,211 number 4,841 number 69,581 number 2

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 52 Ecuador 88,797 number compare
  2. 53 Germany 80,125 number compare
  3. 54 Uruguay 71,547 number compare
  4. 56 Belgium 69,243 number compare
  5. 57 Switzerland 58,654 number compare
  6. 58 Netherlands 47,957 number compare

See the full ranking of 71 places →

More reference data data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter in New Zealand?
Beach litter in New Zealand was 69,581 number in 2022, according to United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest beach litter recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 281,449 number in 2016.
What is the lowest beach litter recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 4,841 number in 2021.
How does New Zealand rank for beach litter?
New Zealand ranks 55th out of 71 countries with data for 2022.
Is beach litter rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 75.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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)