Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Proportion of municipal waste recycled was 53.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
53.9%
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
5th
of 81 countries
All-time high
61.6%
in 2018
All-time low
53.9%
in 2021
Years of data
14
2008–2021

Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea, 2008–2021

02040602008201420212008: 58.4 %2009: 59.8 %2010: 59.9 %2011: 58.3 %2012: 58.4 %2013: 58.6 %2014: 58.1 %2015: 58.4 %2016: 59.2 %2017: 60.6 %2018: 61.6 %2019: 56.5 %2020: 56.5 %2021: 53.9 %

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

Analysis

In 2021, proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea stood at 53.9%. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 7.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea peaked at 61.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 53.9%, in 2021.

That places Republic of Korea 5th out of 81 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of municipal waste recycled (%) in Republic of Korea, 2008 to 2021.
Year % Change
2008 58.4%
2009 59.8% +2.4%
2010 59.9% +0.2%
2011 58.3% -2.7%
2012 58.4% +0.1%
2013 58.6% +0.5%
2014 58.1% -0.9%
2015 58.4% +0.6%
2016 59.2% +1.3%
2017 60.6% +2.4%
2018 61.6% +1.6%
2019 56.5% -8.2%
2020 56.5% -0.1%
2021 53.9% -4.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 59.1% 58.4% 59.8% 2
2010s 59.0% 56.5% 61.6% 10
2020s 55.2% 53.9% 56.5% 2

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 2 Italy 58.9% compare
  2. 3 Slovenia 55.3% compare
  3. 4 Singapore 55.1% compare
  4. 5 Republic of Korea 53.9% compare
  5. 7 Latvia 52.2% compare
  6. 8 Lithuania 48.1% compare

See the full ranking of 84 places →

More environment data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea?
Proportion of municipal waste recycled in Republic of Korea was 53.9% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of municipal waste recycled recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 61.6% in 2018.
What is the lowest proportion of municipal waste recycled recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 53.9% in 2021.
How does Republic of Korea rank for proportion of municipal waste recycled?
Republic of Korea ranks 5th out of 81 countries with data for 2021.
Is proportion of municipal waste recycled rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Republic of Korea 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 Republic of Korea. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-municipal-waste-recycled-percent/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of municipal waste recycled (%)
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
84 places, 1,369 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed