Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada

Canada: Proportion of municipal waste recycled was 19.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
19.6%
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
35th
of 73 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 2016
All-time low
17.5%
in 2006
Years of data
10
2000–2018

Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada, 2000–2018

051015202000200920182000: 18.32002: 18.12004: 182006: 17.52008: 18.12010: 18.52012: 18.82014: 19.62016: 20.32018: 19.6

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Canada recorded 19.6% for proportion of municipal waste recycled in 2018.

That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada peaked at 20.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17.5%, in 2006.

That places Canada 35th out of 73 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of municipal waste recycled (%) in Canada, 2000 to 2018.
Year Value Change
2000 18.3%
2002 18.1% -1.5%
2004 18.0% -0.3%
2006 17.5% -2.9%
2008 18.1% +3.8%
2010 18.5% +1.9%
2012 18.8% +1.8%
2014 19.6% +4.0%
2016 20.3% +3.4%
2018 19.6% -3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18.0% 17.5% 18.3% 5
2010s 19.4% 18.5% 20.3% 5

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 32 Iceland 23.3% compare
  2. 33 Sweden 20.9% compare
  3. 34 Thailand 20.5% compare
  4. 36 Japan 19.4% compare
  5. 37 Cyprus 19.4% compare
  6. 38 Albania 18.9% compare

See the full ranking of 78 places →

More environment data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada?
Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada was 19.6% in 2018, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of municipal waste recycled recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest proportion of municipal waste recycled recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 17.5% in 2006.
How does Canada rank for proportion of municipal waste recycled?
Canada ranks 35th out of 73 countries with data for 2018.
Is proportion of municipal waste recycled rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of municipal waste recycled (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-municipal-waste-recycled-percent/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of municipal waste recycled (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
78 places, 1,284 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed