Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany

Germany: Electronic waste recycling rate was 85.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
85.6%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
13th
of 41 countries
All-time high
86.7%
in 2016
All-time low
79.3%
in 2015
Years of data
13
2006–2018

Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany, 2006–2018

0204060802006201220182006: 79.6 %2007: 80.8 %2008: 80.6 %2009: 80.3 %2010: 82.8 %2011: 83.9 %2012: 83.5 %2013: 82.8 %2014: 84.2 %2015: 79.3 %2016: 86.7 %2017: 85.8 %2018: 85.6 %

Source: United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, electronic waste recycling rate in Germany stood at 85.6%.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electronic waste recycling rate in Germany peaked at 86.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 79.3%, in 2015.

That places Germany 13th out of 41 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany, year by year

Annual values for Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany, 2006 to 2018.
Year % Change
2006 79.6%
2007 80.8% +1.5%
2008 80.6% -0.2%
2009 80.3% -0.4%
2010 82.8% +3.1%
2011 83.9% +1.3%
2012 83.5% -0.5%
2013 82.8% -0.8%
2014 84.2% +1.7%
2015 79.3% -5.8%
2016 86.7% +9.3%
2017 85.8% -1.0%
2018 85.6% -0.2%

Germany compared with similar countries

  • Germany's 85.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 83.1%, 1.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
  • Germany's 85.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.4%, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 80.3% 79.6% 80.8% 4
2010s 83.8% 79.3% 86.7% 9

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 10 Spain 86.2% compare
  2. 10 United Kingdom 86.2% compare
  3. 12 Estonia 85.7% compare
  4. 14 Czechia 84.7% compare
  5. 15 Slovenia 84.6% compare
  6. 16 Italy 84.3% compare

See the full ranking of 41 places →

More environment data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is electronic waste recycling rate in Germany?
Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany was 85.6% in 2018, according to United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest electronic waste recycling rate recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 86.7% in 2016.
What is the lowest electronic waste recycling rate recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 79.3% in 2015.
How does Germany rank for electronic waste recycling rate?
Germany ranks 13th out of 41 countries with data for 2018.
Is electronic waste recycling rate rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Electronic waste recycling rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Electronic waste recycling rate in Germany. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/electronic-waste-recycling-rate/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Electronic waste recycling rate
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
41 places, 467 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

Proportion of electronic waste recycled (%).