Belgium vs Japan: Plastic waste exports
Belgium
362,024 tonnes
in 2024
Japan
683,123 tonnes
in 2024
Belgium rank
3rd
Japan rank
1st
Plastic waste exports over time
- Belgium
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 683,123 tonnes against 362,024 tonnes in Belgium, a difference of 321,099 tonnes.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.9 times Belgium's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
Belgium ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st of 167 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 161,352 tonnes | 190,627 tonnes | 29,275 tonnes | Japan |
| 2000s | 320,336 tonnes | 964,474 tonnes | 644,138 tonnes | Japan |
| 2010s | 324,055 tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 1.15 million tonnes | Japan |
| 2020s | 280,321 tonnes | 659,379 tonnes | 379,058 tonnes | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, Belgium or Japan?
- Japan, at 683,123 tonnes against 362,024 tonnes in Belgium as of 2024.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between Belgium and Japan?
- 321,099 tonnes, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Japan?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2024.
- How do Belgium and Japan rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- Belgium ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 1st 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.