Electronic waste recycling rate in South Korea

South Korea: Electronic waste recycling rate was 44.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
44.1%
Change on year
down 7.5%
World rank
32nd
of 35 countries
All-time high
47.6%
in 2021
All-time low
22.7%
in 2005
Years of data
14
2005–2022

Electronic waste recycling rate in South Korea, 2005–2022

010203040502005201320222005: 22.7 %2010: 26.5 %2011: 23.3 %2012: 24.2 %2013: 25.5 %2014: 30.1 %2015: 30.4 %2016: 36.5 %2017: 37.6 %2018: 39.9 %2019: 39.8 %2020: 45.6 %2021: 47.6 %2022: 44.1 %

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

Analysis

South Korea recorded 44.1% for electronic waste recycling rate in 2022.

The figure is down 7.5% on the previous year and up 82.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, electronic waste recycling rate in South Korea peaked at 47.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 22.7%, in 2005.

That places South Korea 32nd out of 35 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 22.7% 22.7% 22.7% 1
2010s 31.4% 23.3% 39.9% 10
2020s 45.8% 44.1% 47.6% 3

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 29 Belgium 72.5% compare
  2. 31 Switzerland 59.4% compare
  3. 33 United States 42.5% compare
  4. 34 Canada 20.6% compare
  5. 35 Japan 20.0% compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More environment data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is electronic waste recycling rate in South Korea?
Electronic waste recycling rate in South Korea was 44.1% in 2022, 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 47.6% in 2021.
What is the lowest electronic waste recycling rate recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 22.7% in 2005.
How does South Korea rank for electronic waste recycling rate?
South Korea ranks 32nd out of 35 countries with data for 2022.
Is electronic waste recycling rate rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 82.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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
35 places, 425 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Proportion of electronic waste recycled (%)