Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau
Palau: Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group was 3.71 kilograms in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau, 2008–2018
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms.
Analysis
The most recent figure for per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau is 3.71 kilograms, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1,068.5% on the previous year and up 362.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau peaked at 3.71 kilograms in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.1086 kilograms, in 2013.
That places Palau 20th out of 172 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 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 Palau, year by year
| Year | kilograms | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 0.8016 kilograms | — |
| 2009 | 0.5899 kilograms | -26.4% |
| 2010 | 1.16 kilograms | +96.9% |
| 2011 | 0.1734 kilograms | -85.1% |
| 2012 | 0.3533 kilograms | +103.7% |
| 2013 | 0.1086 kilograms | -69.2% |
| 2014 | 0.6774 kilograms | +523.5% |
| 2015 | 0.3578 kilograms | -47.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6382 kilograms | +78.4% |
| 2017 | 0.3171 kilograms | -50.3% |
| 2018 | 3.71 kilograms | +1068.5% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 3.71 kilograms is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1847 kilograms, 20.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Palau's 3.71 kilograms is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0543 kilograms, 68.3× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.6958 kilograms | 0.5899 kilograms | 0.8016 kilograms | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.8325 kilograms | 0.1086 kilograms | 3.71 kilograms | 9 |
Countries ranked near Palau
More environment data for Palau
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 14.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.167 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Cropland — Area per capita 0.13 ha/cap (2024)
- Cropland — Share in Land area 5 % (2024)
- Arable land — Area 0.3 1000 ha (2024)
- Arable land — Share in Agricultural land 6.98 % (2024)
- Permanent crops — Area 2 1000 ha (2024)
- Permanent meadows and pastures — Share in Agricultural land 46.51 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau?
- Per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group in Palau was 3.71 kilograms in 2018, 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 Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 3.71 kilograms in 2018.
- What is the lowest per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1086 kilograms in 2013.
- How does Palau rank for per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group?
- Palau ranks 20th out of 172 countries with data for 2018.
- Is per capita plastic waste exports and imports by income group rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is up 362.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Palau 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.