Plastic waste exports in France
France: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ▲ Rising
Plastic waste exports in France, 1994–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
France recorded 0 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in France peaked at 508,034 tonnes in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2023.
That places France 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Plastic waste exports in France, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 96,553 tonnes | — |
| 1995 | 104,218 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 1996 | 115,903 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 1997 | 127,556 tonnes | +10.1% |
| 1998 | 129,813 tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 147,308 tonnes | +13.5% |
| 2000 | 192,075 tonnes | +30.4% |
| 2001 | 248,351 tonnes | +29.3% |
| 2002 | 309,840 tonnes | +24.8% |
| 2003 | 323,102 tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 364,464 tonnes | +12.8% |
| 2005 | 408,751 tonnes | +12.2% |
| 2006 | 379,183 tonnes | -7.2% |
| 2007 | 385,592 tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 390,634 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 447,683 tonnes | +14.6% |
| 2010 | 477,954 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 502,826 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 508,034 tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 454,119 tonnes | -10.6% |
| 2014 | 483,026 tonnes | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 468,754 tonnes | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 483,957 tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 457,667 tonnes | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 442,474 tonnes | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 385,675 tonnes | -12.8% |
| 2020 | 333,749 tonnes | -13.5% |
| 2021 | 341,612 tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 344,367 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | — |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 0 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes. (64 countries reporting)
- France's 0 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,198 tonnes. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste exports in France 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% | 344,367 tonnes | 0 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 120,225 tonnes | 96,553 tonnes | 147,308 tonnes | 6 |
| 2000s | 344,968 tonnes | 192,075 tonnes | 447,683 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 466,449 tonnes | 385,675 tonnes | 508,034 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 203,946 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 344,367 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
- 141 Angola 2.03 tonnes compare
- 142 East Timor 1 tonnes compare
- 143 Papua New Guinea 0.828 tonnes compare
- 144 Austria 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Bahrain 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Canada 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Fiji 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Germany 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Ghana 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Hungary 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Italy 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Jordan 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Kazakhstan 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Lebanon 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Malaysia 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Mexico 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Oman 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Qatar 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Romania 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Singapore 0 tonnes compare
- 144 South Korea 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Spain 0 tonnes compare
- 144 Thailand 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United Arab Emirates 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United Kingdom 0 tonnes compare
- 144 United States 0 tonnes compare
More environment data for France
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.427 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.31 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.23 % 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 -0.1777 % 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 France?
- Plastic waste exports in France was 0 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 508,034 tonnes in 2012.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2023.
- How does France rank for plastic waste exports?
- France ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France 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 — 31 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.