Municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Municipal waste recycled was 7.66 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 7.66 million, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 8.64 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 2.84 million, in 2000.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11th out of 91 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.84 million | — |
| 2001 | 3.18 million | +12.2% |
| 2002 | 3.73 million | +17.4% |
| 2003 | 4.70 million | +25.9% |
| 2004 | 5.66 million | +20.4% |
| 2005 | 6.36 million | +12.5% |
| 2006 | 7.11 million | +11.7% |
| 2007 | 7.68 million | +8.1% |
| 2008 | 7.78 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 7.89 million | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 8.07 million | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 8.13 million | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 8.17 million | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 8.46 million | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 8.47 million | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 8.56 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 8.64 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 8.32 million | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 8.39 million | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 8.31 million | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 8.03 million | -3.4% |
| 2021 | 8.17 million | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 7.74 million | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 7.66 million | -1.0% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 7.66 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 948,000, 8.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 7.66 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.06 million, 7.2× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | +25.9% | 3.73 million | 4.70 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.69 million | 2.84 million | 7.89 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.35 million | 8.07 million | 8.64 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.90 million | 7.66 million | 8.17 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More environment data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.35 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.22 Percentage change (2024)
- Heating Degree Days 5,420 (2024)
- Cooling Degree Days 28.37 (2024)
- Total fisheries production 981,329 metric tons (2024)
- Capture fisheries production 755,323 metric tons (2024)
- Aquaculture production 226,006 metric tons (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste 2.03 Mt CO2e (2024)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Municipal waste recycled in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 7.66 million in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest municipal waste recycled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.64 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest municipal waste recycled recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.84 million in 2000.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for municipal waste recycled?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th out of 91 countries with data for 2023.
- Is municipal waste recycled rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Municipal waste recycled (Tonnes). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).