Costa Rica vs Kenya: Plastic waste exports
Costa Rica
6,468 tonnes
in 2023
Kenya
6,275 tonnes
in 2023
Costa Rica rank
56th
Kenya rank
57th
Plastic waste exports over time
- Costa Rica
- Kenya
How they compare
Costa Rica currently reports 6,468 tonnes against 6,275 tonnes in Kenya, a difference of 193 tonnes.
Across all 21 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 56th and Kenya ranks 57th of 167 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Kenya | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 663.56 tonnes | 18.69 tonnes | 644.87 tonnes | Costa Rica |
| 2000s | 3,707 tonnes | 963.98 tonnes | 2,743 tonnes | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 11,117 tonnes | 6,492 tonnes | 4,625 tonnes | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 7,884 tonnes | 6,033 tonnes | 1,852 tonnes | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, Costa Rica or Kenya?
- Costa Rica, at 6,468 tonnes against 6,275 tonnes in Kenya as of 2023.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between Costa Rica and Kenya?
- 193 tonnes, with Costa Rica ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Kenya?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2023.
- How do Costa Rica and Kenya rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- Costa Rica ranks 56th and Kenya ranks 57th 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.