Beach litter in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Beach litter was 165 number in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
165 number
Change on year
down 22.9%
World rank
69th
of 71 countries
All-time high
375 number
in 2015
All-time low
165 number
in 2022
Years of data
8
2015–2022

Beach litter in United Kingdom, 2015–2022

01002003004002015201820222015: 375 number2016: 345 number2017: 287 number2018: 255 number2019: 248 number2020: 183 number2021: 214 number2022: 165 number

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

Analysis

In 2022, beach litter in United Kingdom stood at 165 number. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.9% on the previous year and down 56.0% over ten years.

United Kingdom ranks 69th of 71 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Beach litter in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter in United Kingdom, 2015 to 2022.
Year number Change
2015 375 number
2016 345 number -8.0%
2017 287 number -16.8%
2018 255 number -11.1%
2019 248 number -2.7%
2020 183 number -26.2%
2021 214 number +16.9%
2022 165 number -22.9%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 165 number is below the median for high income countries, which is 159,732 number, 0% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 165 number is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 63,949 number, 0% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 302 number 248 number 375 number 5
2020s 187.33 number 165 number 214 number 3

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 66 Norway 1,784 number compare
  2. 67 Bulgaria 782.5 number compare
  3. 68 Italy 303 number compare
  4. 70 Lithuania 77 number compare
  5. 71 Estonia 20.7 number compare

See the full ranking of 71 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter in United Kingdom?
Beach litter in United Kingdom was 165 number in 2022, according to United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest beach litter recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 375 number in 2015.
What is the lowest beach litter recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 165 number in 2022.
How does United Kingdom rank for beach litter?
United Kingdom ranks 69th out of 71 countries with data for 2022.
Is beach litter rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 56.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom. 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/united-kingdom/

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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).