Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Western Europe
Western Europe: Beach litter items per unit of surface area was 13 num items per 100m2 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Western Europe, 2015–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in num items per 100m2.
Analysis
Western Europe recorded 13 num items per 100m2 for beach litter items per unit of surface area in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1,200.0% on the previous year and down 95.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, beach litter items per unit of surface area in Western Europe peaked at 289 num items per 100m2 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0 num items per 100m2, in 2020.
That places Western Europe 21st out of 34 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 Western Europe, year by year
| Year | num items per 100m2 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 289 num items per 100m2 | — |
| 2016 | 31 num items per 100m2 | -89.3% |
| 2017 | 10 num items per 100m2 | -67.7% |
| 2018 | 24 num items per 100m2 | +140.0% |
| 2019 | 73 num items per 100m2 | +204.2% |
| 2020 | 0 num items per 100m2 | -100.0% |
| 2021 | 44 num items per 100m2 | — |
| 2022 | 147 num items per 100m2 | +234.1% |
| 2023 | 1 num items per 100m2 | -99.3% |
| 2024 | 13 num items per 100m2 | +1200.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 85.4 num items per 100m2 | 10 num items per 100m2 | 289 num items per 100m2 | 5 |
| 2020s | 41 num items per 100m2 | 0 num items per 100m2 | 147 num items per 100m2 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Europe
- 18 Vanuatu 93 num items per 100m2 compare
- 19 Viet Nam 90 num items per 100m2 compare
- 19 Viet Nam 90 num items per 100m2 compare
- 21 Nigeria 89 num items per 100m2 compare
- 22 Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba 84 num items per 100m2 compare
- 23 Lithuania 77 num items per 100m2 compare
- 24 Cambodia 76 num items per 100m2 compare
More development goals data for Western Europe
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 0.306 per 100,000 people (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 7,355 constant US$ (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 395 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 378 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 48 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 189 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 957 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 1,083 (2025)
- Alcohol consumption per capita (aged 15 years and older) within a 10.65 ltpureal (2024)
- Children moderately or severely stunted 236.1 num th (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beach litter items per unit of surface area in Western Europe?
- Beach litter items per unit of surface area in Western Europe was 13 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 Western Europe?
- The highest recorded value was 289 num items per 100m2 in 2015.
- What is the lowest beach litter items per unit of surface area recorded in Western Europe?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 num items per 100m2 in 2020.
- How does Western Europe rank for beach litter items per unit of surface area?
- Western Europe ranks 21st out of 34 groups with data for 2024.
- Is beach litter items per unit of surface area rising or falling in Western Europe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 95.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Western Europe 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
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