Plastic waste exports in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Plastic waste exports was 9,325 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
9,325 tonnes
Change on year
down 17.7%
World rank
45th
of 167 countries
All-time high
13,805 tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
22 tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
31
1993–2023

Plastic waste exports in Nicaragua, 1993–2023

05.0k10.0k15.0k1993200820231993: 162.8 tonnes1994: 22 tonnes1995: 941.2 tonnes1996: 756.4 tonnes1997: 289.3 tonnes1998: 117.4 tonnes1999: 33.5 tonnes2000: 218.5 tonnes2001: 195.3 tonnes2002: 388.6 tonnes2003: 516.1 tonnes2004: 631.2 tonnes2005: 1.5k tonnes2006: 2.6k tonnes2007: 5.3k tonnes2008: 6.8k tonnes2009: 4.0k tonnes2010: 5.2k tonnes2011: 6.0k tonnes2012: 8.9k tonnes2013: 11.0k tonnes2014: 13.8k tonnes2015: 12.9k tonnes2016: 12.0k tonnes2017: 11.4k tonnes2018: 10.8k tonnes2019: 11.7k tonnes2020: 11.5k tonnes2021: 11.9k tonnes2022: 11.3k tonnes2023: 9.3k tonnes

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

Analysis

In 2023, plastic waste exports in Nicaragua stood at 9,325 tonnes.

That represents a change of down 17.7% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Nicaragua peaked at 13,805 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 22 tonnes, in 1994.

Nicaragua ranks 45th of 167 countries 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 331.81 tonnes 22 tonnes 941.25 tonnes 7
2000s 2,213 tonnes 195.28 tonnes 6,753 tonnes 10
2010s 10,386 tonnes 5,241 tonnes 13,805 tonnes 10
2020s 11,007 tonnes 9,325 tonnes 11,866 tonnes 4

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 42 Turkey 10,567 tonnes compare
  2. 43 Cyprus 10,107 tonnes compare
  3. 46 Brazil 8,988 tonnes compare
  4. 47 El Salvador 8,675 tonnes compare
  5. 48 Nigeria 8,319 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Nicaragua?
Plastic waste exports in Nicaragua was 9,325 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 Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 13,805 tonnes in 2014.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 22 tonnes in 1994.
How does Nicaragua rank for plastic waste exports?
Nicaragua ranks 45th out of 167 countries with data for 2023.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nicaragua 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.