Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Costa Rica

Costa Rica: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 5 num items per 100m2 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5 num items per 100m2
Change on year
down 58.3%
World rank
76th
of 106 countries
All-time high
1,352 num items per 100m2
in 2015
All-time low
5 num items per 100m2
in 2024
Years of data
10
2015–2024

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

05001.0k1.5k2015201920242015: 1.4k num items per 100m22016: 280 num items per 100m22017: 226 num items per 100m22018: 167 num items per 100m22019: 75 num items per 100m22020: 179 num items per 100m22021: 31 num items per 100m22022: 110 num items per 100m22023: 12 num items per 100m22024: 5 num items per 100m2

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in num items per 100m2.

Analysis

The most recent figure for beach litter items per unit of surface area in Costa Rica is 5 num items per 100m2, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is down 58.3% on the previous year and down 99.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beach litter items per unit of surface area in Costa Rica peaked at 1,352 num items per 100m2 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5 num items per 100m2, in 2024.

Costa Rica ranks 76th of 106 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 Costa Rica, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters) in Costa Rica, 2015 to 2024.
Year num items per 100m2 Change
2015 1,352 num items per 100m2
2016 280 num items per 100m2 -79.3%
2017 226 num items per 100m2 -19.3%
2018 167 num items per 100m2 -26.1%
2019 75 num items per 100m2 -55.1%
2020 179 num items per 100m2 +138.7%
2021 31 num items per 100m2 -82.7%
2022 110 num items per 100m2 +254.8%
2023 12 num items per 100m2 -89.1%
2024 5 num items per 100m2 -58.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 420 num items per 100m2 75 num items per 100m2 1,352 num items per 100m2 5
2020s 67.4 num items per 100m2 5 num items per 100m2 179 num items per 100m2 5

Countries ranked near Costa Rica

  1. 76 Suriname 5 num items per 100m2 compare
  2. 78 Argentina 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  3. 78 China 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  4. 78 Indonesia 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  5. 78 Mauritius 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  6. 78 Micronesia 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  7. 78 New Zealand 4 num items per 100m2 compare
  8. 78 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4 num items per 100m2 compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More development goals data for Costa Rica

All data for Costa Rica →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in Costa Rica?
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Costa Rica was 5 num items per 100m2 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 Costa Rica?
The highest recorded value was 1,352 num items per 100m2 in 2015.
What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in Costa Rica?
The lowest recorded value was 5 num items per 100m2 in 2024.
How does Costa Rica rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
Costa Rica ranks 76th out of 106 countries with data for 2024.
Is beach litter items per unit of surface area rising or falling in Costa Rica?
Over the last ten years it is down 99.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://development-goals.statizoid.com/stat/beach-litter-items-per-unit-of-surface-area-number-of-items-per-100-square-meters/costa-rica/

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About this data

Indicator
Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters)
Unit
num items per 100m2
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
140 places, 1,211 data points, 2015–2024
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