Beach litter in United States
United States: Beach litter was 221,825 number in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
221,825 number
Change on year
down 95.6%
World rank
32nd
of 71 countries
All-time high
5.09 million number
in 2021
All-time low
1,510 number
in 2019
Years of data
8
2015–2022
Beach litter in United States, 2015–2022
Source: United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number.
Analysis
The most recent figure for beach litter in United States is 221,825 number, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 95.6% on the previous year and up 2,774.4% over ten years.
That places United States 32nd out of 71 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 109,429 number | 1,510 number | 214,112 number | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.77 million number | 2,114 number | 5.09 million number | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0594 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8696 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9189 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.86 2010 = 100 (2024)
- 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 United States?
- Beach litter in United States was 221,825 number in 2022, according to United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest beach litter recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5.09 million number in 2021.
- What is the lowest beach litter recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,510 number in 2019.
- How does United States rank for beach litter?
- United States ranks 32nd out of 71 countries with data for 2022.
- Is beach litter rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,774.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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 — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Beach litter per square kilometer (Number)