Plastic waste exports in South Korea
South Korea: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0 tonnes
World rank
144th
of 167 countries
All-time high
324,564 tonnes
in 2007
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2020
Years of data
37
1988–2024
Plastic waste exports in South Korea, 1988–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 0 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in South Korea peaked at 324,564 tonnes in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2020.
That places South Korea 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Plastic waste exports in South Korea, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 4,296 tonnes | — |
| 1989 | 3,757 tonnes | -12.5% |
| 1990 | 6,064 tonnes | +61.4% |
| 1991 | 5,058 tonnes | -16.6% |
| 1992 | 5,884 tonnes | +16.4% |
| 1993 | 4,547 tonnes | -22.7% |
| 1994 | 9,159 tonnes | +101.4% |
| 1995 | 10,779 tonnes | +17.7% |
| 1996 | 4,423 tonnes | -59.0% |
| 1997 | 15,751 tonnes | +256.1% |
| 1998 | 19,498 tonnes | +23.8% |
| 1999 | 37,650 tonnes | +93.1% |
| 2000 | 60,530 tonnes | +60.8% |
| 2001 | 43,757 tonnes | -27.7% |
| 2002 | 36,244 tonnes | -17.2% |
| 2003 | 82,972 tonnes | +128.9% |
| 2004 | 158,706 tonnes | +91.3% |
| 2005 | 234,546 tonnes | +47.8% |
| 2006 | 299,078 tonnes | +27.5% |
| 2007 | 324,564 tonnes | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 285,244 tonnes | -12.1% |
| 2009 | 307,717 tonnes | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 201,549 tonnes | -34.5% |
| 2011 | 161,358 tonnes | -19.9% |
| 2012 | 182,975 tonnes | +13.4% |
| 2013 | 183,292 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 192,851 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 187,609 tonnes | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 208,826 tonnes | +11.3% |
| 2017 | 199,572 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 67,487 tonnes | -66.2% |
| 2019 | 34,373 tonnes | -49.1% |
| 2020 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2021 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2022 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | — |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes. (64 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0 tonnes is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 277.15 tonnes. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste exports in South Korea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +256.1% | 4,423 tonnes | 15,751 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4,026 tonnes | 3,757 tonnes | 4,296 tonnes | 2 |
| 1990s | 11,881 tonnes | 4,423 tonnes | 37,650 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 183,336 tonnes | 36,244 tonnes | 324,564 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 161,989 tonnes | 34,373 tonnes | 208,826 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 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 France 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 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 South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in South Korea?
- Plastic waste exports in South Korea 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 324,564 tonnes in 2007.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for plastic waste exports?
- South Korea ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 37 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.