Plastic waste exports in Indonesia

Indonesia: Plastic waste exports was 42,926 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
42,926 tonnes
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
19th
of 167 countries
All-time high
231,747 tonnes
in 2013
All-time low
12.31 tonnes
in 1990
Years of data
34
1989–2023

Plastic waste exports in Indonesia, 1989–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k1989200620231989: 34.8 tonnes1990: 12.3 tonnes1991: 625 tonnes1992: 611.5 tonnes1993: 492 tonnes1994: 918.4 tonnes1995: 2.3k tonnes1996: 2.7k tonnes1997: 1.4k tonnes1998: 413.3 tonnes1999: 5.6k tonnes2000: 13.7k tonnes2001: 12.1k tonnes2002: 12.6k tonnes2003: 19.3k tonnes2004: 30.1k tonnes2005: 29.1k tonnes2006: 36.8k tonnes2007: 58.2k tonnes2008: 53.2k tonnes2009: 53.7k tonnes2010: 116.4k tonnes2011: 166.4k tonnes2012: 204.8k tonnes2013: 231.7k tonnes2014: 193.8k tonnes2015: 148.7k tonnes2016: 203.6k tonnes2017: 193.4k tonnes2018: 99.2k tonnes2019: 73.3k tonnes2020: 43.7k tonnes2021: 44.4k tonnes2023: 42.9k tonnes

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

Analysis

Indonesia recorded 42,926 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2023.

That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and down 81.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Indonesia peaked at 231,747 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 12.31 tonnes, in 1990.

Indonesia ranks 19th 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
1980s 34.81 tonnes 34.81 tonnes 34.81 tonnes 1
1990s 1,507 tonnes 12.31 tonnes 5,632 tonnes 10
2000s 31,886 tonnes 12,119 tonnes 58,167 tonnes 10
2010s 163,128 tonnes 73,277 tonnes 231,747 tonnes 10
2020s 43,691 tonnes 42,926 tonnes 44,422 tonnes 3

Countries ranked near Indonesia

  1. 16 Croatia 52,151 tonnes compare
  2. 17 Vietnam 49,508 tonnes compare
  3. 18 South Africa 44,367 tonnes compare
  4. 20 Tunisia 42,528 tonnes compare
  5. 21 Slovakia 41,139 tonnes compare
  6. 22 Bangladesh 39,011 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Indonesia

All data for Indonesia →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Indonesia?
Plastic waste exports in Indonesia was 42,926 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 Indonesia?
The highest recorded value was 231,747 tonnes in 2013.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Indonesia?
The lowest recorded value was 12.31 tonnes in 1990.
How does Indonesia rank for plastic waste exports?
Indonesia ranks 19th out of 167 countries with data for 2023.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Indonesia?
Over the last ten years it is down 81.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Indonesia 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 — 34 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.