Plastic waste exports in Estonia

Estonia: Plastic waste exports was 16,459 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
16,459 tonnes
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
35th
of 167 countries
All-time high
38,614 tonnes
in 2012
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2004
Years of data
30
1995–2024

Plastic waste exports in Estonia, 1995–2024

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1995200920241995: 391.8 tonnes1996: 363.1 tonnes1997: 157.6 tonnes1998: 74.2 tonnes1999: 168.5 tonnes2000: 725 tonnes2001: 660.8 tonnes2002: 1.3k tonnes2003: 1.9k tonnes2004: 0 tonnes2005: 4.8k tonnes2006: 6.9k tonnes2007: 12.8k tonnes2008: 12.7k tonnes2009: 21.3k tonnes2010: 15.3k tonnes2011: 14.0k tonnes2012: 38.6k tonnes2013: 15.5k tonnes2014: 17.5k tonnes2015: 15.9k tonnes2016: 17.0k tonnes2017: 13.6k tonnes2018: 14.1k tonnes2019: 16.5k tonnes2020: 16.3k tonnes2021: 17.2k tonnes2022: 20.4k tonnes2023: 16.0k tonnes2024: 16.5k tonnes

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

Analysis

Estonia recorded 16,459 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024.

The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Estonia peaked at 38,614 tonnes in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2004.

Estonia ranks 35th of 167 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 231.03 tonnes 74.2 tonnes 391.79 tonnes 5
2000s 6,309 tonnes 0 tonnes 21,293 tonnes 10
2010s 17,793 tonnes 13,627 tonnes 38,614 tonnes 10
2020s 17,274 tonnes 16,032 tonnes 20,404 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Estonia

  1. 32 Honduras 19,039 tonnes compare
  2. 33 Latvia 18,694 tonnes compare
  3. 34 Jamaica 16,938 tonnes compare
  4. 36 Lithuania 16,322 tonnes compare
  5. 37 Belarus 16,256 tonnes compare
  6. 38 Bulgaria 15,529 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Estonia

All data for Estonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Estonia?
Plastic waste exports in Estonia was 16,459 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 Estonia?
The highest recorded value was 38,614 tonnes in 2012.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Estonia?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2004.
How does Estonia rank for plastic waste exports?
Estonia ranks 35th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Estonia?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Estonia 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 — 30 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.