Plastic waste exports in Mexico
Mexico: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Plastic waste exports in Mexico, 1990–2024
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 Mexico is 0 tonnes, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Mexico peaked at 2.41 million tonnes in 2004 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2014.
That places Mexico 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,967 tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 4,956 tonnes | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 53,174 tonnes | +972.8% |
| 1993 | 19,371 tonnes | -63.6% |
| 1994 | 175,328 tonnes | +805.1% |
| 1995 | 287,988 tonnes | +64.3% |
| 1996 | 217,395 tonnes | -24.5% |
| 1997 | 284,212 tonnes | +30.7% |
| 1998 | 317,485 tonnes | +11.7% |
| 1999 | 582,007 tonnes | +83.3% |
| 2000 | 155,727 tonnes | -73.2% |
| 2001 | 128,429 tonnes | -17.5% |
| 2002 | 145,188 tonnes | +13.0% |
| 2003 | 224,274 tonnes | +54.5% |
| 2004 | 2.41 million tonnes | +976.7% |
| 2005 | 301,318 tonnes | -87.5% |
| 2006 | 347,875 tonnes | +15.5% |
| 2007 | 419,676 tonnes | +20.6% |
| 2008 | 435,085 tonnes | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 372,442 tonnes | -14.4% |
| 2010 | 414,021 tonnes | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 442,197 tonnes | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 522,143 tonnes | +18.1% |
| 2013 | 517,067 tonnes | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2015 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2016 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2017 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2018 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2019 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2020 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2021 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2022 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2023 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | — |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 0 tonnes is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1,066 tonnes. (49 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 0 tonnes is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1,293 tonnes. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Plastic waste exports in Mexico 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +976.7% | 224,274 tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes |
| 1992 | +972.8% | 4,956 tonnes | 53,174 tonnes |
| 1994 | +805.1% | 19,371 tonnes | 175,328 tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 194,688 tonnes | 4,956 tonnes | 582,007 tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 494,467 tonnes | 128,429 tonnes | 2.41 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 189,543 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 522,143 tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 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 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 Mexico
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.6859 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.6189 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.234 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.62 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1645 % 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 -0.5194 % 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 Mexico?
- Plastic waste exports in Mexico 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 2.41 million tonnes in 2004.
- What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2014.
- How does Mexico rank for plastic waste exports?
- Mexico ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Where does this Mexico 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 — 35 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.