Plastic waste exports in Denmark

Denmark: Plastic waste exports was 87,149 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
87,149 tonnes
Change on year
up 23.5%
World rank
9th
of 167 countries
All-time high
493,556 tonnes
in 2010
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2020
Years of data
35
1989–2024

Plastic waste exports in Denmark, 1989–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1989200620241989: 8.7k tonnes1990: 8.0k tonnes1991: 8.7k tonnes1992: 8.8k tonnes1993: 7.9k tonnes1994: 7.7k tonnes1995: 6.5k tonnes1996: 8.6k tonnes1998: 11.4k tonnes1999: 19.7k tonnes2000: 15.6k tonnes2001: 17.0k tonnes2002: 23.2k tonnes2003: 29.6k tonnes2004: 36.7k tonnes2005: 44.2k tonnes2006: 42.1k tonnes2007: 46.7k tonnes2008: 247.5k tonnes2009: 131.4k tonnes2010: 493.6k tonnes2011: 79.8k tonnes2012: 85.3k tonnes2013: 68.0k tonnes2014: 82.2k tonnes2015: 74.2k tonnes2016: 59.1k tonnes2017: 55.7k tonnes2018: 55.2k tonnes2019: 61.2k tonnes2020: 0 tonnes2021: 0 tonnes2022: 85.5k tonnes2023: 70.5k tonnes2024: 87.1k tonnes

Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

Denmark recorded 87,149 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.5% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Denmark peaked at 493,556 tonnes in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2020.

Denmark ranks 9th of 167 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 8,684 tonnes 8,684 tonnes 8,684 tonnes 1
1990s 9,701 tonnes 6,530 tonnes 19,706 tonnes 9
2000s 63,404 tonnes 15,628 tonnes 247,468 tonnes 10
2010s 111,433 tonnes 55,232 tonnes 493,556 tonnes 10
2020s 48,633 tonnes 0 tonnes 87,149 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Denmark

  1. 6 Slovenia 115,869 tonnes compare
  2. 7 Czechia 115,364 tonnes compare
  3. 8 Philippines 101,872 tonnes compare
  4. 10 Switzerland 86,849 tonnes compare
  5. 12 Norway 68,644 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Denmark

All data for Denmark →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Denmark?
Plastic waste exports in Denmark was 87,149 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 Denmark?
The highest recorded value was 493,556 tonnes in 2010.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Denmark?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2020.
How does Denmark rank for plastic waste exports?
Denmark ranks 9th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Denmark?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Denmark 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 — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Plastic waste exports
Unit
tonnes
Source
United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
167 places, 3,957 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.