Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia

Australia: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 24 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
24
Change on year
up 380.0%
World rank
34th
of 93 countries
All-time high
43
in 2022
All-time low
0
in 2015
Years of data
10
2015–2024

Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia, 2015–2024

0102030402015201920242015: 02016: 12017: 212018: 142019: 82020: 152021: 262022: 432023: 52024: 24

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2024, beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia stood at 24.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 380.0% on the previous year and up 200.0% over five years.

Over the whole period, beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia peaked at 43 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2015.

Australia ranks 34th of 93 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters) in Australia, 2015 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2015 0
2016 1
2017 21 +2000.0%
2018 14 -33.3%
2019 8 -42.9%
2020 15 +87.5%
2021 26 +73.3%
2022 43 +65.4%
2023 5 -88.4%
2024 24 +380.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 8.8 0 21 5
2020s 22.6 5 43 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 31 Panama 31 compare
  2. 32 Singapore 30 compare
  3. 33 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 25 compare
  4. 35 Barbados 23 compare
  5. 36 Estonia 21 compare
  6. 36 Mexico 21 compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More development goals data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia?
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia was 24 in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 43 in 2022.
What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2015.
How does Australia rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
Australia ranks 34th out of 93 countries with data for 2024.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://development-goals.statizoid.com/stat/beach-litter-items-per-unit-of-surface-area-number-of-items-per-100-square-meters/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
134 places, 1,160 data points, 2015–2024
Last refreshed