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
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.
Plastic waste exports in Spain, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 7,129 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 6,509 tonnes | -8.7% |
| 1991 | 8,259 tonnes | +26.9% |
| 1992 | 7,898 tonnes | -4.4% |
| 1993 | 8,396 tonnes | +6.3% |
| 1994 | 8,460 tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 6,781 tonnes | -19.9% |
| 1996 | 13,009 tonnes | +91.8% |
| 1997 | 8,605 tonnes | -33.9% |
| 1998 | 8,622 tonnes | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 11,497 tonnes | +33.3% |
| 2000 | 15,117 tonnes | +31.5% |
| 2001 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2002 | 18,698 tonnes | — |
| 2003 | 47,929 tonnes | +156.3% |
| 2004 | 71,479 tonnes | +49.1% |
| 2005 | 87,436 tonnes | +22.3% |
| 2006 | 91,944 tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 108,685 tonnes | +18.2% |
| 2008 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2009 | 166,850 tonnes | — |
| 2010 | 218,105 tonnes | +30.7% |
| 2011 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2012 | 241,472 tonnes | — |
| 2013 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2014 | 359,484 tonnes | — |
| 2015 | 330,162 tonnes | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 318,887 tonnes | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 302,774 tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 157,451 tonnes | -48.0% |
| 2019 | 92,174 tonnes | -41.5% |
| 2020 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 2021 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2022 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 2023 | 223,161 tonnes | — |
| 2024 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 0 tonnes is below the median for high income countries, which is 4,588 tonnes. (64 countries reporting)
- Spain's 0 tonnes is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7,198 tonnes. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 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 Mexico 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 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 Spain
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.67 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.4 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.402 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.3 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4277 % 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 -0.5136 % 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 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
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About this data
Amount of plastic waste a country exports to other countries, measured in tonnes per year.