Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana
Ghana: Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports was 0 kilograms in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana, 1996–2023
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms.
Analysis
In 2023, plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana stood at 0 kilograms. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana peaked at 0.1923 kilograms in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0 kilograms, in 2019.
That places Ghana 168th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana, year by year
| Year | kilograms | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0.0009 kilograms | — |
| 1997 | 0.0001 kilograms | -86.3% |
| 1998 | 0 kilograms | -73.3% |
| 1999 | 0.0003 kilograms | +784.4% |
| 2000 | 0.0009 kilograms | +209.1% |
| 2001 | 0.0005 kilograms | -45.8% |
| 2002 | 0.0012 kilograms | +149.3% |
| 2003 | 0.0008 kilograms | -28.4% |
| 2005 | 0.005 kilograms | +490.4% |
| 2006 | 0.007 kilograms | +41.4% |
| 2007 | 0.0212 kilograms | +200.6% |
| 2008 | 0.0207 kilograms | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 0.0405 kilograms | +96.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0434 kilograms | +7.1% |
| 2011 | 0.0167 kilograms | -61.4% |
| 2012 | 0.0218 kilograms | +30.0% |
| 2013 | 0.0307 kilograms | +41.1% |
| 2014 | 0.0265 kilograms | -13.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0656 kilograms | +147.6% |
| 2016 | 0.0857 kilograms | +30.7% |
| 2017 | 0.0963 kilograms | +12.4% |
| 2018 | 0.1923 kilograms | +99.6% |
| 2019 | 0 kilograms | -100.0% |
| 2023 | 0 kilograms | — |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 0 kilograms is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0288 kilograms. (45 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 0 kilograms is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0104 kilograms. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +784.4% | 0 kilograms | 0.0003 kilograms |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0003 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0.0009 kilograms | 4 |
| 2000s | 0.0109 kilograms | 0.0005 kilograms | 0.0405 kilograms | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.0579 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0.1923 kilograms | 10 |
| 2020s | 0 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 165 Sao Tome and Principe 0 kilograms compare
- 166 Cote d'Ivoire 0 kilograms compare
- 167 Cuba 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Brazil 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Bulgaria 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Greece 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Hungary 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Malawi 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Mexico 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Poland 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Senegal 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Slovakia 0 kilograms compare
- 168 South Korea 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Spain 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Switzerland 0 kilograms compare
- 168 United Kingdom 0 kilograms compare
- 168 United States 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Uzbekistan 0 kilograms compare
More environment data for Ghana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -13.57 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -11.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.26 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.34 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -27.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % 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 0.8796 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana?
- Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Ghana was 0 kilograms in 2023, according to United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1923 kilograms in 2018.
- What is the lowest plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilograms in 2019.
- How does Ghana rank for plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports?
- Ghana ranks 168th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana 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 Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports. 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.