Plastic waste exports in Ghana

Ghana: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0 tonnes
World rank
144th
of 167 countries
All-time high
1,033 tonnes
in 2013
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2014
Years of data
18
1999–2023

Plastic waste exports in Ghana, 1999–2023

02505007501.0k1999201120231999: 1.2 tonnes2003: 641.8 tonnes2005: 20.7 tonnes2006: 214.2 tonnes2007: 113.8 tonnes2008: 143.3 tonnes2009: 32.7 tonnes2010: 261.6 tonnes2011: 260.9 tonnes2012: 203.9 tonnes2013: 1.0k tonnes2014: 0 tonnes2015: 465.8 tonnes2016: 139.5 tonnes2017: 961.9 tonnes2018: 66 tonnes2019: 297.4 tonnes2023: 0 tonnes

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

Analysis

In 2023, plastic waste exports in Ghana stood at 0 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

That represents a change of down 100.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Ghana peaked at 1,033 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2014.

Ghana ranks 144th of 167 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.25 tonnes 1.25 tonnes 1.25 tonnes 1
2000s 194.44 tonnes 20.74 tonnes 641.79 tonnes 6
2010s 368.96 tonnes 0 tonnes 1,033 tonnes 10
2020s 0 tonnes 0 tonnes 0 tonnes 1

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 141 Angola 2.03 tonnes compare
  2. 142 East Timor 1 tonnes compare
  3. 143 Papua New Guinea 0.828 tonnes compare
  4. 144 Austria 0 tonnes compare
  5. 144 Bahrain 0 tonnes compare
  6. 144 Canada 0 tonnes compare
  7. 144 Fiji 0 tonnes compare
  8. 144 France 0 tonnes compare
  9. 144 Germany 0 tonnes compare
  10. 144 Hungary 0 tonnes compare
  11. 144 Italy 0 tonnes compare
  12. 144 Jordan 0 tonnes compare
  13. 144 Kazakhstan 0 tonnes compare
  14. 144 Lebanon 0 tonnes compare
  15. 144 Malaysia 0 tonnes compare
  16. 144 Mexico 0 tonnes compare
  17. 144 Oman 0 tonnes compare
  18. 144 Qatar 0 tonnes compare
  19. 144 Romania 0 tonnes compare
  20. 144 Singapore 0 tonnes compare
  21. 144 South Korea 0 tonnes compare
  22. 144 Spain 0 tonnes compare
  23. 144 Thailand 0 tonnes compare
  24. 144 United Arab Emirates 0 tonnes compare
  25. 144 United Kingdom 0 tonnes compare
  26. 144 United States 0 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Ghana?
Plastic waste exports in Ghana was 0 tonnes in 2023, 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 Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 1,033 tonnes in 2013.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2014.
How does Ghana rank for plastic waste exports?
Ghana ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2023.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ghana 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 — 18 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.