Beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 165 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
165
Change on year
down 22.9%
World rank
13th
of 106 countries
All-time high
375
in 2015
All-time low
165
in 2022
Years of data
8
2015–2022

Beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2015–2022

01002003004002015201820222015: 3752016: 3452017: 2872018: 2552019: 2482020: 1832021: 2142022: 165

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2022, beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 165. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.9% on the previous year and down 56.0% over ten years.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 13th out of 106 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

Beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Beach litter items per unit of surface area (Number of items per 100 square meters) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2015 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2015 375
2016 345 -8.0%
2017 287 -16.8%
2018 255 -11.1%
2019 248 -2.7%
2020 183 -26.2%
2021 214 +16.9%
2022 165 -22.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 302 248 375 5
2020s 187.33 165 214 3

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 10 Egypt 256 compare
  2. 11 Philippines 245 compare
  3. 12 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 197 compare
  4. 13 United Kingdom 165 compare
  5. 15 United States Virgin Islands 153 compare
  6. 16 Ukraine 146 compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More development goals data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 165 in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 375 in 2015.
What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 165 in 2022.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 13th out of 106 countries with data for 2022.
Is beach litter items per unit of surface area rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 56.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://development-goals.statizoid.com/stat/beach-litter-items-per-unit-of-surface-area-number-of-items-per-100-square-meters/united-kingdom-of-great-britain-and-northern-ireland/

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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
140 places, 1,211 data points, 2015–2024
Last refreshed