Municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Municipal waste generated was 23.04 million in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
23.04 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
9th
of 72 countries
All-time high
23.04 million
in 2022
All-time low
16.95 million
in 2000
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea, 2000–2022

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M2000201120222000: 16.9M2001: 17.7M2002: 18.2M2003: 18.5M2004: 18.3M2005: 17.7M2006: 17.8M2007: 18.4M2008: 19.0M2009: 18.6M2010: 17.9M2011: 17.9M2012: 17.9M2013: 17.8M2014: 18.2M2015: 18.7M2016: 19.6M2017: 19.5M2018: 20.5M2019: 21.2M2020: 22.5M2021: 22.7M2022: 23.0M

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea is 23.04 million, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 28.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea peaked at 23.04 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 16.95 million, in 2000.

Republic of Korea ranks 9th of 72 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18.11 million 16.95 million 19.01 million 10
2010s 18.92 million 17.79 million 21.16 million 10
2020s 22.76 million 22.54 million 23.04 million 3

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 6 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 29.89 million compare
  2. 7 Italy 28.84 million compare
  3. 8 Thailand 26.95 million compare
  4. 10 Spain 22.50 million compare
  5. 11 Philippines 21.02 million compare
  6. 12 Argentina 19.33 million compare

See the full ranking of 77 places →

More environment data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea?
Municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea was 23.04 million in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest municipal waste generated recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 23.04 million in 2022.
What is the lowest municipal waste generated recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 16.95 million in 2000.
How does Republic of Korea rank for municipal waste generated?
Republic of Korea ranks 9th out of 72 countries with data for 2022.
Is municipal waste generated rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Republic of Korea data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Municipal waste generated (Tonnes). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Municipal waste generated in Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/municipal-waste-generated-tonnes/republic-of-korea/

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About this data

Indicator
Municipal waste generated (Tonnes)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
77 places, 1,389 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed