Hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa

South Africa: Hazardous waste treated or disposed was 39.60 million tonnes in 2021. β–² Rising

Latest (2021)
39.60 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
2nd
of 69 countries
All-time high
44.12 million tonnes
in 2019
All-time low
9.63 million tonnes
in 2016
Years of data
5
2016–2021

Hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa, 2016–2021

10.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M2016201820212016: 9.6M tonnes2018: 37.9M tonnes2019: 44.1M tonnes2020: 38.6M tonnes2021: 39.6M tonnes

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

In 2021, hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa stood at 39.60 million tonnes.

That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 311.3% over ten years.

That places South Africa 2nd out of 69 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 30.56 million tonnes 9.63 million tonnes 44.12 million tonnes 3
2020s 39.09 million tonnes 38.59 million tonnes 39.60 million tonnes 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 China (People’s Republic of) 105.03 million tonnes compare
  2. 3 Serbia 29.76 million tonnes compare
  3. 4 Finland 29.33 million tonnes compare
  4. 5 Germany 21.42 million tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 75 places β†’

More environment data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa?
Hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa was 39.60 million tonnes in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest hazardous waste treated or disposed recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 44.12 million tonnes in 2019.
What is the lowest hazardous waste treated or disposed recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.63 million tonnes in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for hazardous waste treated or disposed?
South Africa ranks 2nd out of 69 countries with data for 2021.
Is hazardous waste treated or disposed rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 311.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Hazardous waste treated or disposed (Tonnes). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Hazardous waste treated or disposed in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/hazardous-waste-treated-or-disposed-tonnes/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Hazardous waste treated or disposed (Tonnes)
Unit
tonnes
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
75 places, 953 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed