Beach litter in South Africa
South Africa: Beach litter was 122,938 number in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
122,938 number
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
50th
of 71 countries
All-time high
1.06 million number
in 2015
All-time low
303.66 number
in 2019
Years of data
7
2015–2022
Beach litter in South Africa, 2015–2022
Source: United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2022, beach litter in South Africa stood at 122,938 number.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 88.4% over ten years.
South Africa ranks 50th of 71 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 508,444 number | 303.66 number | 1.06 million number | 5 |
| 2020s | 123,514 number | 122,938 number | 124,090 number | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beach litter in South Africa?
- Beach litter in South Africa was 122,938 number in 2022, according to United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest beach litter recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.06 million number in 2015.
- What is the lowest beach litter recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 303.66 number in 2019.
- How does South Africa rank for beach litter?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 71 countries with data for 2022.
- Is beach litter rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 88.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa 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 — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Beach litter per square kilometer (Number)