Plastic waste exports in Malta

Malta: Plastic waste exports was 4,548 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4,548 tonnes
Change on year
up 61.2%
Rank
65th
of 167 regions
All-time high
5,734 tonnes
in 2016
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
31
1994–2024

Plastic waste exports in Malta, 1994–2024

02.0k4.0k6.0k1994200920241994: 0 tonnes1995: 235.9 tonnes1996: 259.1 tonnes1997: 326.9 tonnes1998: 223.9 tonnes1999: 312.8 tonnes2000: 787.1 tonnes2001: 681.5 tonnes2002: 968.4 tonnes2003: 1.7k tonnes2004: 2.0k tonnes2005: 1.1k tonnes2006: 1.4k tonnes2007: 80.9 tonnes2008: 451.6 tonnes2009: 1.5k tonnes2010: 958.4 tonnes2011: 2.0k tonnes2012: 3.6k tonnes2013: 3.7k tonnes2014: 4.7k tonnes2015: 3.7k tonnes2016: 5.7k tonnes2017: 4.8k tonnes2018: 3.8k tonnes2019: 2.2k tonnes2020: 1.3k tonnes2021: 2.6k tonnes2022: 1.1k tonnes2023: 2.8k tonnes2024: 4.5k tonnes

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

Analysis

Malta recorded 4,548 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024.

That represents a change of up 61.2% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Malta peaked at 5,734 tonnes in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1994.

Malta ranks 65th of 167 regions 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 226.44 tonnes 0 tonnes 326.92 tonnes 6
2000s 1,059 tonnes 80.94 tonnes 1,977 tonnes 10
2010s 3,513 tonnes 958.41 tonnes 5,734 tonnes 10
2020s 2,475 tonnes 1,081 tonnes 4,548 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 62 Kuwait 4,612 tonnes compare
  2. 63 Colombia 4,601 tonnes compare
  3. 64 Panama 4,563 tonnes compare
  4. 66 Albania 4,167 tonnes compare
  5. 67 Ecuador 3,917 tonnes compare
  6. 68 Andorra 3,556 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Malta?
Plastic waste exports in Malta was 4,548 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 Malta?
The highest recorded value was 5,734 tonnes in 2016.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1994.
How does Malta rank for plastic waste exports?
Malta ranks 65th out of 167 regions with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malta 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 — 31 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.