Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea
South Korea: Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group was 0 kilograms in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea, 2008–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms.
Analysis
In 2024, per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea stood at 0 kilograms. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% on the previous year and down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea peaked at 3.26 kilograms in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0 kilograms, in 2022.
South Korea ranks 157th of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea, year by year
| Year | kilograms | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0.9751 kilograms | — |
| 2009 | 0.9243 kilograms | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 0.9516 kilograms | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 1.23 kilograms | +28.8% |
| 2012 | 1.36 kilograms | +11.1% |
| 2013 | 1.54 kilograms | +12.7% |
| 2014 | 1.49 kilograms | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.33 kilograms | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 1.16 kilograms | -12.9% |
| 2017 | 1.22 kilograms | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 2.93 kilograms | +139.2% |
| 2019 | 3.26 kilograms | +11.3% |
| 2020 | 1.78 kilograms | -45.4% |
| 2021 | 0.8878 kilograms | -50.1% |
| 2022 | 0 kilograms | -100.0% |
| 2023 | 0.6494 kilograms | — |
| 2024 | 0 kilograms | -100.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0 kilograms is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1847 kilograms. (66 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0 kilograms is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0543 kilograms. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +139.2% | 1.22 kilograms | 2.93 kilograms |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.9497 kilograms | 0.9243 kilograms | 0.9751 kilograms | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.65 kilograms | 0.9516 kilograms | 3.26 kilograms | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6632 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 1.78 kilograms | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 154 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 kilograms compare
- 155 Sao Tome and Principe 0 kilograms compare
- 156 Cote d'Ivoire 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Brazil 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Bulgaria 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Ghana 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Greece 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Hungary 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Malawi 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Mexico 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Poland 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Senegal 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Slovakia 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Spain 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Switzerland 0 kilograms compare
- 157 United Kingdom 0 kilograms compare
- 157 United States 0 kilograms compare
- 157 Uzbekistan 0 kilograms compare
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea?
- Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in South Korea was 0 kilograms in 2024, according to United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.26 kilograms in 2019.
- What is the lowest per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilograms in 2022.
- How does South Korea rank for per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group?
- South Korea ranks 157th out of 172 countries with data for 2024.
- Is per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Amount of plastic waste imported per person, measured in kilograms per person per year.