China vs Vietnam: Plastic waste exports
China
63,180 tonnes
in 2024
Vietnam
49,508 tonnes
in 2023
China rank
14th
Vietnam rank
17th
Plastic waste exports over time
- China
- Vietnam
How they compare
China currently reports 63,180 tonnes against 49,508 tonnes in Vietnam, a difference of 13,672 tonnes.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times Vietnam's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2000 it was China ahead.
China ranks 14th and Vietnam ranks 17th of 167 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Vietnam in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36,211 tonnes | 11,094 tonnes | 25,118 tonnes | China |
| 2010s | 45,949 tonnes | 168,534 tonnes | 122,585 tonnes | Vietnam |
| 2020s | 43,764 tonnes | 37,609 tonnes | 6,155 tonnes | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, China or Vietnam?
- China, at 63,180 tonnes against 49,508 tonnes in Vietnam as of 2024.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between China and Vietnam?
- 13,672 tonnes, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Vietnam?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do China and Vietnam rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- China ranks 14th and Vietnam ranks 17th 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.