Japan vs South Africa: Municipal waste recycled

Japan
8.04 million
in 2021
South Africa
14.20 million
in 2021
Japan rank
7th
South Africa rank
5th

Municipal waste recycled over time

  • Japan
  • South Africa
010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M200020102021

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 14.20 million against 8.04 million in Japan, a difference of 6.16 million.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.8 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 5th of 85 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 10.12 million 390,705 9.72 million Japan
2010s 8.30 million 42.86 million 34.57 million South Africa
2020s 8.10 million 24.22 million 16.12 million South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher municipal waste recycled, Japan or South Africa?
South Africa, at 14.20 million against 8.04 million in Japan as of 2021.
What is the difference in municipal waste recycled between Japan and South Africa?
6.16 million, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
6 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2021.
How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for municipal waste recycled?
Japan ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 5th of 85 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Municipal waste recycled. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs South Africa: Municipal waste recycled. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/municipal-waste-recycled/japan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Municipal waste recycled
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
86 places, 1,389 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed