Beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa
South Africa: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 19 num items per 100m2 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa, 2015–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in num items per 100m2.
Analysis
In 2024, beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa stood at 19 num items per 100m2. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 97.5% on the previous year and down 82.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa peaked at 750 num items per 100m2 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 19 num items per 100m2, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 48th 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 South Africa, year by year
| Year | num items per 100m2 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 106 num items per 100m2 | — |
| 2016 | 64 num items per 100m2 | -39.6% |
| 2017 | 24 num items per 100m2 | -62.5% |
| 2018 | 60 num items per 100m2 | +150.0% |
| 2019 | 55 num items per 100m2 | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 80 num items per 100m2 | +45.5% |
| 2021 | 47 num items per 100m2 | -41.2% |
| 2022 | 85 num items per 100m2 | +80.9% |
| 2023 | 750 num items per 100m2 | +782.4% |
| 2024 | 19 num items per 100m2 | -97.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 61.8 num items per 100m2 | 24 num items per 100m2 | 106 num items per 100m2 | 5 |
| 2020s | 196.2 num items per 100m2 | 19 num items per 100m2 | 750 num items per 100m2 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 46 Guyana 20 num items per 100m2 compare
- 46 Melanesia 20 num items per 100m2 compare
- 48 Malaysia 19 num items per 100m2 compare
- 50 Bermuda 18 num items per 100m2 compare
- 51 Australia and New Zealand 15 num items per 100m2 compare
- 51 Mozambique 15 num items per 100m2 compare
- 51 Slovenia 15 num items per 100m2 compare
More development goals data for South Africa
- Red List Index 0.8693 index (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 1.8 per 100,000 people (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 651.49 constant US$ (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 105 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 101 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 33 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 40 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 56 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 61 (2025)
- Infant deaths 28,570 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa?
- Beach litter items per unit of surface area in South Africa was 19 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 750 num items per 100m2 in 2023.
- What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 19 num items per 100m2 in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
- South Africa ranks 48th out of 106 countries with data for 2024.
- Is beach litter items per unit of surface area rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).