Plastic waste exports in Rwanda

Rwanda: Plastic waste exports was 963.54 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
963.54 tonnes
Change on year
down 42.5%
World rank
92nd
of 167 countries
All-time high
1,805 tonnes
in 2020
All-time low
10 tonnes
in 2011
Years of data
14
2008–2022

Plastic waste exports in Rwanda, 2008–2022

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2008201520222008: 30 tonnes2009: 40.1 tonnes2011: 10 tonnes2012: 34.4 tonnes2013: 246.4 tonnes2014: 347.2 tonnes2015: 274.9 tonnes2016: 410 tonnes2017: 346.8 tonnes2018: 150.9 tonnes2019: 840.5 tonnes2020: 1.8k tonnes2021: 1.7k tonnes2022: 963.5 tonnes

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

Analysis

Rwanda recorded 963.54 tonnes for plastic waste exports in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 42.5% on the previous year and up 2,702.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Rwanda peaked at 1,805 tonnes in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10 tonnes, in 2011.

Rwanda ranks 92nd 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
2000s 35.06 tonnes 30 tonnes 40.13 tonnes 2
2010s 295.68 tonnes 10 tonnes 840.49 tonnes 9
2020s 1,481 tonnes 963.54 tonnes 1,805 tonnes 3

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 89 Iraq 1,099 tonnes compare
  2. 90 Togo 1,090 tonnes compare
  3. 91 Mongolia 1,066 tonnes compare
  4. 93 Trinidad and Tobago 962.33 tonnes compare
  5. 94 Ukraine 957.58 tonnes compare
  6. 95 Sri Lanka 912.6 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Rwanda?
Plastic waste exports in Rwanda was 963.54 tonnes in 2022, 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 Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 1,805 tonnes in 2020.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 10 tonnes in 2011.
How does Rwanda rank for plastic waste exports?
Rwanda ranks 92nd out of 167 countries with data for 2022.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,702.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Rwanda 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 — 14 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.