Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Malawi
Malawi: Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports was 0 kilograms in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Malawi, 1990–2023
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 Malawi stood at 0 kilograms. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% on the previous year and down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Malawi peaked at 0.1104 kilograms in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0 kilograms, in 2023.
That places Malawi 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | kilograms | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 kilograms | — |
| 1991 | 0.0002 kilograms | +1700.4% |
| 1994 | 0.0001 kilograms | -38.7% |
| 1995 | 0.0005 kilograms | +250.9% |
| 1999 | 0.0229 kilograms | +4314.4% |
| 2000 | 0.0155 kilograms | -32.3% |
| 2001 | 0.1104 kilograms | +611.5% |
| 2002 | 0.0174 kilograms | -84.2% |
| 2003 | 0.0067 kilograms | -61.4% |
| 2004 | 0 kilograms | -99.9% |
| 2005 | 0 kilograms | -83.0% |
| 2006 | 0 kilograms | +927.9% |
| 2007 | 0.0019 kilograms | +10864.1% |
| 2008 | 0.0016 kilograms | -14.6% |
| 2009 | 0.0022 kilograms | +38.1% |
| 2010 | 0.0128 kilograms | +484.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0067 kilograms | -47.5% |
| 2012 | 0.0281 kilograms | +318.4% |
| 2013 | 0.0249 kilograms | -11.5% |
| 2014 | 0.0042 kilograms | -83.3% |
| 2015 | 0.0253 kilograms | +508.3% |
| 2016 | 0.0028 kilograms | -88.9% |
| 2017 | 0.0183 kilograms | +555.5% |
| 2018 | 0.0033 kilograms | -82.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0142 kilograms | +337.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0061 kilograms | -57.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0203 kilograms | +233.6% |
| 2023 | 0 kilograms | -100.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 0 kilograms is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.0104 kilograms. (17 countries reporting)
- Malawi'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 Malawi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +10864.1% | 0 kilograms | 0.0019 kilograms |
| 1999 | +4314.4% | 0.0005 kilograms | 0.0229 kilograms |
| 1991 | +1700.4% | 0 kilograms | 0.0002 kilograms |
| 2006 | +927.9% | 0 kilograms | 0 kilograms |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0048 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0.0229 kilograms | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.0156 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0.1104 kilograms | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0141 kilograms | 0.0028 kilograms | 0.0281 kilograms | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0088 kilograms | 0 kilograms | 0.0203 kilograms | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 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 Ghana 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Greece 0 kilograms compare
- 168 Hungary 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 Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Malawi?
- Plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports in Malawi 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1104 kilograms in 2001.
- What is the lowest plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilograms in 2023.
- How does Malawi rank for plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports?
- Malawi ranks 168th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
- Is plastic waste per capita imports vs. exports rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Amount of plastic waste imported per person, measured in kilograms per person per year.