Plastic waste exports in Spain

Spain: Plastic waste exports was 0 tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0 tonnes
Change on year
down 100.0%
World rank
144th
of 167 countries
All-time high
359,484 tonnes
in 2014
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 2001
Years of data
36
1989–2024

Plastic waste exports in Spain, 1989–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k1989200620241989: 7.1k tonnes1990: 6.5k tonnes1991: 8.3k tonnes1992: 7.9k tonnes1993: 8.4k tonnes1994: 8.5k tonnes1995: 6.8k tonnes1996: 13.0k tonnes1997: 8.6k tonnes1998: 8.6k tonnes1999: 11.5k tonnes2000: 15.1k tonnes2001: 0 tonnes2002: 18.7k tonnes2003: 47.9k tonnes2004: 71.5k tonnes2005: 87.4k tonnes2006: 91.9k tonnes2007: 108.7k tonnes2008: 0 tonnes2009: 166.8k tonnes2010: 218.1k tonnes2011: 0 tonnes2012: 241.5k tonnes2013: 0 tonnes2014: 359.5k tonnes2015: 330.2k tonnes2016: 318.9k tonnes2017: 302.8k tonnes2018: 157.5k tonnes2019: 92.2k tonnes2020: 0 tonnes2021: 0 tonnes2022: 0 tonnes2023: 223.2k tonnes2024: 0 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 2024, plastic waste exports in Spain stood at 0 tonnes. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% on the previous year and down 100.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Spain peaked at 359,484 tonnes in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 2001.

That places Spain 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7,129 tonnes 7,129 tonnes 7,129 tonnes 1
1990s 8,804 tonnes 6,509 tonnes 13,009 tonnes 10
2000s 60,814 tonnes 0 tonnes 166,850 tonnes 10
2010s 202,051 tonnes 0 tonnes 359,484 tonnes 10
2020s 44,632 tonnes 0 tonnes 223,161 tonnes 5

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 141 Angola 2.03 tonnes compare
  2. 142 East Timor 1 tonnes compare
  3. 143 Papua New Guinea 0.828 tonnes compare
  4. 144 Austria 0 tonnes compare
  5. 144 Bahrain 0 tonnes compare
  6. 144 Canada 0 tonnes compare
  7. 144 Fiji 0 tonnes compare
  8. 144 France 0 tonnes compare
  9. 144 Germany 0 tonnes compare
  10. 144 Ghana 0 tonnes compare
  11. 144 Hungary 0 tonnes compare
  12. 144 Italy 0 tonnes compare
  13. 144 Jordan 0 tonnes compare
  14. 144 Kazakhstan 0 tonnes compare
  15. 144 Lebanon 0 tonnes compare
  16. 144 Malaysia 0 tonnes compare
  17. 144 Mexico 0 tonnes compare
  18. 144 Oman 0 tonnes compare
  19. 144 Qatar 0 tonnes compare
  20. 144 Romania 0 tonnes compare
  21. 144 Singapore 0 tonnes compare
  22. 144 South Korea 0 tonnes compare
  23. 144 Thailand 0 tonnes compare
  24. 144 United Arab Emirates 0 tonnes compare
  25. 144 United Kingdom 0 tonnes compare
  26. 144 United States 0 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Spain?
Plastic waste exports in Spain 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 Spain?
The highest recorded value was 359,484 tonnes in 2014.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 2001.
How does Spain rank for plastic waste exports?
Spain ranks 144th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Spain 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 — 36 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.