Ireland vs Switzerland: Plastic waste exports
Ireland
70,923 tonnes
in 2024
Switzerland
86,849 tonnes
in 2024
Ireland rank
11th
Switzerland rank
10th
Plastic waste exports over time
- Ireland
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 86,849 tonnes against 70,923 tonnes in Ireland, a difference of 15,926 tonnes.
That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.2 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Switzerland ahead.
Ireland ranks 11th and Switzerland ranks 10th of 167 countries.
Switzerland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,175 tonnes | 27,570 tonnes | 26,395 tonnes | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 12,458 tonnes | 27,955 tonnes | 15,497 tonnes | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 11,675 tonnes | 72,518 tonnes | 60,843 tonnes | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 24,202 tonnes | 52,426 tonnes | 28,224 tonnes | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher plastic waste exports, Ireland or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 86,849 tonnes against 70,923 tonnes in Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in plastic waste exports between Ireland and Switzerland?
- 15,926 tonnes, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Switzerland?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2024.
- How do Ireland and Switzerland rank globally for plastic waste exports?
- Ireland ranks 11th and Switzerland ranks 10th 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.