Australia vs Saudi Arabia: Plastic waste exports
Australia
28,020 tonnes
in 2024
Saudi Arabia
25,779 tonnes
in 2024
Australia rank
25th
Saudi Arabia rank
27th
Plastic waste exports over time
- Australia
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Australia currently reports 28,020 tonnes against 25,779 tonnes in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 2,241 tonnes.
That makes Australia's figure about 1.1 times Saudi Arabia's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Australia ranks 25th and Saudi Arabia ranks 27th of 167 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13,490 tonnes | 4,325 tonnes | 9,165 tonnes | Australia |
| 2000s | 88,839 tonnes | 22,892 tonnes | 65,947 tonnes | Australia |
| 2010s | 154,664 tonnes | 76,869 tonnes | 77,795 tonnes | Australia |
| 2020s | 48,397 tonnes | 36,159 tonnes | 12,239 tonnes | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, Australia or Saudi Arabia?
- Australia, at 28,020 tonnes against 25,779 tonnes in Saudi Arabia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between Australia and Saudi Arabia?
- 2,241 tonnes, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Saudi Arabia?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2024.
- How do Australia and Saudi Arabia rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- Australia ranks 25th and Saudi Arabia ranks 27th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Plastic waste exports. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.