Plastic waste exports in Malaysia
Malaysia: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Plastic waste exports in Malaysia, 1989–2024
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 Malaysia is 0 tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Malaysia peaked at 250,809 tonnes in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2018.
That places Malaysia 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 4,341 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 4,615 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 4,547 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 5,639 tonnes | +24.0% |
| 1993 | 9,485 tonnes | +68.2% |
| 1994 | 10,196 tonnes | +7.5% |
| 1995 | 16,554 tonnes | +62.3% |
| 1996 | 14,287 tonnes | -13.7% |
| 1997 | 12,634 tonnes | -11.6% |
| 1998 | 33,220 tonnes | +162.9% |
| 1999 | 41,057 tonnes | +23.6% |
| 2000 | 79,680 tonnes | +94.1% |
| 2001 | 38,942 tonnes | -51.1% |
| 2002 | 153,507 tonnes | +294.2% |
| 2003 | 60,536 tonnes | -60.6% |
| 2004 | 89,957 tonnes | +48.6% |
| 2005 | 104,930 tonnes | +16.6% |
| 2006 | 96,789 tonnes | -7.8% |
| 2007 | 107,316 tonnes | +10.9% |
| 2008 | 114,943 tonnes | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 123,627 tonnes | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 134,326 tonnes | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 153,865 tonnes | +14.5% |
| 2012 | 197,598 tonnes | +28.4% |
| 2013 | 250,809 tonnes | +26.9% |
| 2014 | 247,007 tonnes | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 182,271 tonnes | -26.2% |
| 2016 | 163,622 tonnes | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 165,827 tonnes | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2019 | 39,365 tonnes | — |
| 2020 | 19,028 tonnes | -51.7% |
| 2021 | 21,456 tonnes | +12.8% |
| 2022 | 16,045 tonnes | -25.2% |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | — |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0 tonnes is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,066 tonnes. (49 countries reporting)
- Malaysia'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 Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +294.2% | 38,942 tonnes | 153,507 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4,341 tonnes | 4,341 tonnes | 4,341 tonnes | 1 |
| 1990s | 15,223 tonnes | 4,547 tonnes | 41,057 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 97,023 tonnes | 38,942 tonnes | 153,507 tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 153,469 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 250,809 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,306 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 21,456 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 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 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 South Korea 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 Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is plastic waste exports in Malaysia?
- Plastic waste exports in Malaysia 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 250,809 tonnes in 2013.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2018.
- How does Malaysia rank for plastic waste exports?
- Malaysia ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 36 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.