Plastic waste exports in Belgium
Belgium: Plastic waste exports was 362,024 tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Plastic waste exports in Belgium, 1999–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 362,024 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024.
The figure is up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Belgium peaked at 453,559 tonnes in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 3rd of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Plastic waste exports in Belgium, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 161,352 tonnes | — |
| 2000 | 185,713 tonnes | +15.1% |
| 2001 | 191,674 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 223,739 tonnes | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 317,018 tonnes | +41.7% |
| 2004 | 336,782 tonnes | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 342,874 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 382,820 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 2007 | 399,628 tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2008 | 369,552 tonnes | -7.5% |
| 2009 | 453,559 tonnes | +22.7% |
| 2010 | 253,734 tonnes | -44.1% |
| 2011 | 414,619 tonnes | +63.4% |
| 2012 | 333,311 tonnes | -19.6% |
| 2013 | 347,701 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 320,622 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 2015 | 279,834 tonnes | -12.7% |
| 2016 | 277,837 tonnes | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 324,089 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 2018 | 346,746 tonnes | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 342,053 tonnes | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 309,624 tonnes | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 338,692 tonnes | +9.4% |
| 2022 | 391,263 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2024 | 362,024 tonnes | — |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 362,024 tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes, 78.9× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 362,024 tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,198 tonnes, 50.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste exports in Belgium 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -100.0% | 391,263 tonnes | 0 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 161,352 tonnes | 161,352 tonnes | 161,352 tonnes | 1 |
| 2000s | 320,336 tonnes | 185,713 tonnes | 453,559 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 324,055 tonnes | 253,734 tonnes | 414,619 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 280,321 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 391,263 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More environment data for Belgium
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.574 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.19 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5577 % 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 0.0605 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in Belgium?
- Plastic waste exports in Belgium was 362,024 tonnes in 2024, according to United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest plastic waste exports recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 453,559 tonnes in 2009.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for plastic waste exports?
- Belgium ranks 3rd out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Plastic waste exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.