Plastic waste exports in Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Plastic waste exports was 6,535 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Plastic waste exports in Hong Kong, 1993–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
Hong Kong recorded 6,535 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.8% on the previous year and down 99.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Hong Kong peaked at 4.22 million tonnes in 2010 and was at its lowest, 6,535 tonnes, in 2024.
That places Hong Kong 55th out of 167 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.01 million tonnes | 737,767 tonnes | 1.34 million tonnes | 7 |
| 2000s | 2.80 million tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 4.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.34 million tonnes | 232,345 tonnes | 4.22 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,802 tonnes | 6,535 tonnes | 112,080 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Hong Kong
More environment data for Hong Kong
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 40.31 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.36 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.0153 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.006 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0705 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0005 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 4.92 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.025 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0254 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 4.78 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in Hong Kong?
- Plastic waste exports in Hong Kong was 6,535 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 Hong Kong?
- The highest recorded value was 4.22 million tonnes in 2010.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Hong Kong?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,535 tonnes in 2024.
- How does Hong Kong rank for plastic waste exports?
- Hong Kong ranks 55th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Hong Kong?
- Over the last ten years it is down 99.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hong Kong 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
The amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.