Illegal Waste Dumping Rates by Country 2026

Illegal waste dumping is a serious environmental crime that contaminates land, water, and air while undermining legitimate waste management systems. This analysis presents waste dumping crime rates per 100,000 population across 39 countries, based on official data reported to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

[TABLE2|title=Illegal Waste Dumping Rates by Country Per 100k Population]

What is Illegal Waste Dumping?

Illegal waste dumping involves the unauthorized disposal or transport of waste materials. This includes:

• Fly-tipping – Dumping waste in unauthorized locations
• Illegal waste trafficking – Moving hazardous waste across borders illegally
• Improper disposal – Disposing of waste without proper permits
• Hazardous waste violations – Mishandling dangerous materials
• E-waste dumping – Illegal disposal of electronic waste

Important Note on Interpreting This Data

Waste dumping statistics depend heavily on enforcement resources and monitoring capabilities. Countries with extensive environmental inspection systems and strict waste regulations report higher rates. Illegal dumping often occurs in remote areas and goes undetected. The data captures prosecuted cases, which represent only a fraction of actual illegal dumping activity.

Key Findings

Belgium leads with 12.56 cases per 100,000 population in 2022, though this represents a decrease from 19.03 in 2020. Hungary (9.44) showed significant increase from 4.86 in 2020, while Italy (8.33) remains consistently high.

Japan (4.22) shows notable enforcement activity in Asia, reflecting strict waste management regulations. South Korea (2.39) also reports significant rates.

Nordic countries show moderate rates: Finland (2.48), Denmark (2.1), Norway (1.5), and Sweden (0.7), indicating active but proportionate enforcement.

Many countries report rates below 0.5, suggesting either limited enforcement capacity or handling of waste violations through administrative rather than criminal channels.

Serbia showed a dramatic increase from 0.07 in 2020 to 1.27 in 2022, indicating new enforcement initiatives.

Illegal Waste Dumping Rates by Country Per 100k Population

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#	Country	2020	2021	2022
1	Belgium	19.03	14.74	12.56
2	Hungary	4.86	5.3	9.44
3	Italy	9.39	10.5	8.33
4	Slovakia	7.06	7.79	5.96
5	Japan	4.56	4.55	4.22
6	Finland	3.87	3.16	2.48
7	South Korea	-	2.61	2.39
8	France	2.28	2.06	2.23
9	Denmark	1.8	1.93	2.1
10	Albania	0	1.16	1.98
11	Netherlands	2.32	1.97	1.56
12	Norway	1.51	1.72	1.5
13	Serbia	0.07	0.1	1.27
14	Sweden	0.74	0.87	0.7
15	Poland	0.92	0.83	0.64
16	Colombia	0.09	0.21	0.48
17	Slovenia	0.14	0.62	0.43
18	Costa Rica	0.5	0.38	0.35
19	Austria	0.25	0.69	0.35
20	Croatia	0.38	0.36	0.33
21	Latvia	0.32	0.37	0.11
22	United Kingdom	0.42	0.16	0.09
23	Romania	0.09	0.07	0.06
24	Greece	0.11	0.11	0.05
25	Chile	0.03	0.06	0.05
26	Lithuania	0	0.04	0.04
27	Germany	0.06	0.03	0.02
28	Honduras	-	-	0.02
29	Mexico	0.45	0.01	0.01
30	Malta	0.58	0	0
31	Spain	0.01	0	0
32	Estonia	0.08	0.23	0
33	Morocco	-	8.26	-
34	Mauritius	2.18	3.99	-
35	Algeria	0.8	1.38	-
36	Peru	0.02	0.02	-
37	El Salvador	0.02	0.02	-
38	Kyrgyzstan	-	0.01	-
39	Panama	0.07	0	-

Data Source

• Source: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) – Corruption and Economic Crime Statistics
• Unit: Rate per 100,000 population
• Years covered: 2020, 2021, 2022
• Countries included: 39 countries with available data