China vs Portugal: Plastic waste exports
China
63,180 tonnes
in 2024
Portugal
53,082 tonnes
in 2024
China rank
14th
Portugal rank
15th
Plastic waste exports over time
- China
- Portugal
How they compare
China currently reports 63,180 tonnes against 53,082 tonnes in Portugal, a difference of 10,098 tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Portugal's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1992 it was China ahead.
China ranks 14th and Portugal ranks 15th of 167 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Portugal in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10,463 tonnes | 3,774 tonnes | 6,689 tonnes | China |
| 2000s | 36,211 tonnes | 19,350 tonnes | 16,861 tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 44,646 tonnes | 59,445 tonnes | 14,800 tonnes | Portugal |
| 2020s | 49,537 tonnes | 59,246 tonnes | 9,709 tonnes | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, China or Portugal?
- China, at 63,180 tonnes against 53,082 tonnes in Portugal as of 2024.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between China and Portugal?
- 10,098 tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Portugal?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2024.
- How do China and Portugal rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- China ranks 14th and Portugal ranks 15th 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.