Japan vs South Korea: Municipal waste recycled
Japan
8.04 million tonnes
in 2021
South Korea
13.17 million tonnes
in 2022
Japan rank
9th
South Korea rank
6th
Municipal waste recycled over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 13.17 million tonnes against 8.04 million tonnes in Japan, a difference of 5.13 million tonnes.
That makes South Korea's figure about 1.6 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 9th and South Korea ranks 6th of 90 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.08 million tonnes | 9.02 million tonnes | 57,888 tonnes | Japan |
| 2010s | 8.84 million tonnes | 11.15 million tonnes | 2.32 million tonnes | South Korea |
| 2020s | 8.10 million tonnes | 12.48 million tonnes | 4.38 million tonnes | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher municipal waste recycled, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 13.17 million tonnes against 8.04 million tonnes in Japan as of 2022.
- What is the difference in municipal waste recycled between Japan and South Korea?
- 5.13 million tonnes, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2021.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for municipal waste recycled?
- Japan ranks 9th and South Korea ranks 6th of 90 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as Municipal waste recycled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Municipal waste recycled (Tonnes).