Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Northern America

Northern America: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 7 num items per 100m2 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
7 num items per 100m2
Change on year
up 600.0%
Rank
24th
of 34 groups
All-time high
44 num items per 100m2
in 2022
All-time low
1 num items per 100m2
in 2015
Years of data
10
2015–2024

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

0102030402015201920242015: 1 num items per 100m22016: 20 num items per 100m22017: 22 num items per 100m22018: 14 num items per 100m22019: 16 num items per 100m22020: 5 num items per 100m22021: 23 num items per 100m22022: 44 num items per 100m22023: 1 num items per 100m22024: 7 num items per 100m2

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

Analysis

Northern America recorded 7 num items per 100m2 for beach litter items per unit of surface area in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 600.0% on the previous year and up 600.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beach litter items per unit of surface area in Northern America peaked at 44 num items per 100m2 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1 num items per 100m2, in 2015.

Northern America ranks 24th of 34 groups 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 Northern America, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters) in Northern America, 2015 to 2024.
Year num items per 100m2 Change
2015 1 num items per 100m2
2016 20 num items per 100m2 +1900.0%
2017 22 num items per 100m2 +10.0%
2018 14 num items per 100m2 -36.4%
2019 16 num items per 100m2 +14.3%
2020 5 num items per 100m2 -68.8%
2021 23 num items per 100m2 +360.0%
2022 44 num items per 100m2 +91.3%
2023 1 num items per 100m2 -97.7%
2024 7 num items per 100m2 +600.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 14.6 num items per 100m2 1 num items per 100m2 22 num items per 100m2 5
2020s 16 num items per 100m2 1 num items per 100m2 44 num items per 100m2 5

Countries ranked near Northern America

  1. 21 Nigeria 89 num items per 100m2 compare
  2. 22 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba 84 num items per 100m2 compare
  3. 23 Lithuania 77 num items per 100m2 compare
  4. 24 Cambodia 76 num items per 100m2 compare
  5. 25 Chile 69 num items per 100m2 compare
  6. 26 Bangladesh 62 num items per 100m2 compare
  7. 27 Bahamas 52 num items per 100m2 compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More development goals data for Northern America

All data for Northern America →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in Northern America?
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Northern America was 7 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 Northern America?
The highest recorded value was 44 num items per 100m2 in 2022.
What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in Northern America?
The lowest recorded value was 1 num items per 100m2 in 2015.
How does Northern America rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
Northern America ranks 24th out of 34 groups with data for 2024.
Is beach litter items per unit of surface area rising or falling in Northern America?
Over the last ten years it is up 600.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Northern America 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 Northern America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://development-goals.statizoid.com/stat/beach-litter-items-per-unit-of-surface-area-number-of-items-per-100-square-meters/northern-america/

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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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