Waste - Municipal waste: generation and treatment — Total waste in Korea
Korea: Waste - Municipal waste: generation and treatment — Total waste was 132.25 Index in 2023. ▼ Falling
Waste - Municipal waste: generation and treatment — Total waste in Korea, 1985–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Index.
Analysis
In 2023, waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste in Korea stood at 132.25 Index.
That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste in Korea peaked at 198.64 Index in 1991 and was at its lowest, 96.01 Index, in 1998.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Waste - Municipal waste: generation and treatment — Total waste in Korea, year by year
| Year | Index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 123.86 Index | — |
| 1987 | 144.34 Index | +16.5% |
| 1988 | 156.98 Index | +8.8% |
| 1989 | 168.01 Index | +7.0% |
| 1990 | 180.8 Index | +7.6% |
| 1991 | 198.64 Index | +9.9% |
| 1992 | 161.71 Index | -18.6% |
| 1993 | 135.53 Index | -16.2% |
| 1994 | 125.15 Index | -7.7% |
| 1995 | 102.88 Index | -17.8% |
| 1996 | 107.51 Index | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 103.14 Index | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 96.01 Index | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 98.23 Index | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 100 Index | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 104.44 Index | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 107.46 Index | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 109.26 Index | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 107.68 Index | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 104.22 Index | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 105.18 Index | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 108.41 Index | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 112.13 Index | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 109.62 Index | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 105.86 Index | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 105.38 Index | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 105.49 Index | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 104.93 Index | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 107.49 Index | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 110.36 Index | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 115.79 Index | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 115.19 Index | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 120.67 Index | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 124.81 Index | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 133.01 Index | +6.6% |
| 2021 | 133.9 Index | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 135.92 Index | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 132.25 Index | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 148.3 Index | 123.86 Index | 168.01 Index | 4 |
| 1990s | 130.96 Index | 96.01 Index | 198.64 Index | 10 |
| 2000s | 106.84 Index | 100 Index | 112.13 Index | 10 |
| 2010s | 111.6 Index | 104.93 Index | 124.81 Index | 10 |
| 2020s | 133.77 Index | 132.25 Index | 135.92 Index | 4 |
Countries ranked near Korea
More environment data for Korea
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.6 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.6 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.83 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.248 Percentage change (2024)
- Land use hidden — Other areas 19,350 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Total area 100,450 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Cropland 15,120 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Permanent meadows and pastures 560 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Land area 97,600 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Naturally regenerating forest 40,045 Square kilometres (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste in Korea?
- Waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste in Korea was 132.25 Index in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 198.64 Index in 1991.
- What is the lowest waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.01 Index in 1998.
- How does Korea rank for waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste?
- Korea ranks 4th out of 4 groups with data for 2023.
- Is waste - municipal waste: generation and treatment — total waste rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Waste - Municipal waste: generation and treatment — Total waste generated. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
This dataset presents trends in amounts of municipal waste generated (including household waste), and the treatment and disposal method used. The amount of waste generated in each country is related to the rate of urbanisation, the types and pattern of consumption, household revenue and lifestyles. Data source(s): OECD Annual Quality Assurance (AQA) questionnaire (jointly collected with Eurostat) for OECD countries. UNSD, Country Files from the UNSD/UNEP data collection on environment statistics (available at: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envstats/country_files) for non-OECD countries. Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Dataset release date: March, 2026 Database documentation