Plastic waste exports in Guatemala

Guatemala: Plastic waste exports was 7,155 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
7,155 tonnes
Change on year
down 6.0%
World rank
50th
of 167 countries
All-time high
17,864 tonnes
in 2015
All-time low
339.49 tonnes
in 1998
Years of data
32
1993–2024

Plastic waste exports in Guatemala, 1993–2024

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k1993200820241993: 685.6 tonnes1994: 572.7 tonnes1995: 778 tonnes1996: 549.2 tonnes1997: 404.5 tonnes1998: 339.5 tonnes1999: 361.4 tonnes2000: 532.8 tonnes2001: 793.7 tonnes2002: 1.0k tonnes2003: 480.1 tonnes2004: 2.5k tonnes2005: 5.1k tonnes2006: 4.9k tonnes2007: 7.9k tonnes2008: 5.5k tonnes2009: 4.1k tonnes2010: 6.7k tonnes2011: 7.8k tonnes2012: 11.8k tonnes2013: 12.8k tonnes2014: 14.8k tonnes2015: 17.9k tonnes2016: 17.0k tonnes2017: 13.0k tonnes2018: 10.3k tonnes2019: 8.2k tonnes2020: 5.4k tonnes2021: 13.6k tonnes2022: 7.1k tonnes2023: 7.6k tonnes2024: 7.2k tonnes

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for plastic waste exports in Guatemala is 7,155 tonnes, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 6.0% on the previous year and down 51.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Guatemala peaked at 17,864 tonnes in 2015 and was at its lowest, 339.49 tonnes, in 1998.

Guatemala ranks 50th of 167 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 527.26 tonnes 339.49 tonnes 778.04 tonnes 7
2000s 3,285 tonnes 480.14 tonnes 7,932 tonnes 10
2010s 12,028 tonnes 6,693 tonnes 17,864 tonnes 10
2020s 8,185 tonnes 5,380 tonnes 13,637 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 47 El Salvador 8,675 tonnes compare
  2. 48 Nigeria 8,319 tonnes compare
  3. 49 Iceland 7,721 tonnes compare
  4. 51 Mauritania 6,843 tonnes compare
  5. 52 Tajikistan 6,675 tonnes compare
  6. 53 Chile 6,656 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Guatemala?
Plastic waste exports in Guatemala was 7,155 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 Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 17,864 tonnes in 2015.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 339.49 tonnes in 1998.
How does Guatemala rank for plastic waste exports?
Guatemala ranks 50th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Guatemala 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 — 32 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.