Plastic waste exports in Panama

Panama: Plastic waste exports was 4,563 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
4,563 tonnes
Change on year
down 17.8%
World rank
64th
of 167 countries
All-time high
7,041 tonnes
in 2021
All-time low
291.58 tonnes
in 1995
Years of data
30
1995–2024

Plastic waste exports in Panama, 1995–2024

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1995200920241995: 291.6 tonnes1996: 552.8 tonnes1997: 477.1 tonnes1998: 1.4k tonnes1999: 1.3k tonnes2000: 2.6k tonnes2001: 2.6k tonnes2002: 1.7k tonnes2003: 1.9k tonnes2004: 2.2k tonnes2005: 4.3k tonnes2006: 5.3k tonnes2007: 6.5k tonnes2008: 3.6k tonnes2009: 3.0k tonnes2010: 4.4k tonnes2011: 3.7k tonnes2012: 5.5k tonnes2013: 5.7k tonnes2014: 6.3k tonnes2015: 4.8k tonnes2016: 5.6k tonnes2017: 6.7k tonnes2018: 4.8k tonnes2019: 2.2k tonnes2020: 3.3k tonnes2021: 7.0k tonnes2022: 4.2k tonnes2023: 5.6k tonnes2024: 4.6k tonnes

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

Analysis

Panama recorded 4,563 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2024.

That represents a change of down 17.8% on the previous year and down 27.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Panama peaked at 7,041 tonnes in 2021 and was at its lowest, 291.58 tonnes, in 1995.

Panama ranks 64th 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 817.36 tonnes 291.58 tonnes 1,434 tonnes 5
2000s 3,374 tonnes 1,730 tonnes 6,537 tonnes 10
2010s 4,977 tonnes 2,211 tonnes 6,736 tonnes 10
2020s 4,932 tonnes 3,317 tonnes 7,041 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 61 Syria 4,912 tonnes compare
  2. 62 Kuwait 4,612 tonnes compare
  3. 63 Colombia 4,601 tonnes compare
  4. 66 Albania 4,167 tonnes compare
  5. 67 Ecuador 3,917 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Panama?
Plastic waste exports in Panama was 4,563 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 Panama?
The highest recorded value was 7,041 tonnes in 2021.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 291.58 tonnes in 1995.
How does Panama rank for plastic waste exports?
Panama ranks 64th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Panama 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 — 30 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.