Plastic waste exports in Uruguay

Uruguay: Plastic waste exports was 815.31 tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
815.31 tonnes
Change on year
down 13.3%
World rank
97th
of 167 countries
All-time high
5,947 tonnes
in 2006
All-time low
95 tonnes
in 1994
Years of data
30
1994–2023

Plastic waste exports in Uruguay, 1994–2023

02.0k4.0k6.0k1994200820231994: 95 tonnes1995: 829 tonnes1996: 613.5 tonnes1997: 1.3k tonnes1998: 1.5k tonnes1999: 2.6k tonnes2000: 3.9k tonnes2001: 2.3k tonnes2002: 2.5k tonnes2003: 2.0k tonnes2004: 4.6k tonnes2005: 5.1k tonnes2006: 5.9k tonnes2007: 5.6k tonnes2008: 4.1k tonnes2009: 1.3k tonnes2010: 1.6k tonnes2011: 1.9k tonnes2012: 1.9k tonnes2013: 2.1k tonnes2014: 2.0k tonnes2015: 2.0k tonnes2016: 1.4k tonnes2017: 726 tonnes2018: 736.3 tonnes2019: 1.0k tonnes2020: 1.1k tonnes2021: 949.8 tonnes2022: 940.7 tonnes2023: 815.3 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 Uruguay stood at 815.31 tonnes.

That represents a change of down 13.3% on the previous year and down 62.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, plastic waste exports in Uruguay peaked at 5,947 tonnes in 2006 and was at its lowest, 95 tonnes, in 1994.

Uruguay ranks 97th 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 1,141 tonnes 95 tonnes 2,554 tonnes 6
2000s 3,728 tonnes 1,291 tonnes 5,947 tonnes 10
2010s 1,532 tonnes 726 tonnes 2,149 tonnes 10
2020s 955.1 tonnes 815.31 tonnes 1,115 tonnes 4

Countries ranked near Uruguay

  1. 94 Ukraine 957.58 tonnes compare
  2. 95 Sri Lanka 912.6 tonnes compare
  3. 96 Paraguay 827.54 tonnes compare
  4. 98 Maldives 812.88 tonnes compare
  5. 99 Eswatini 778.24 tonnes compare
  6. 100 Peru 736.57 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 167 places →

More environment data for Uruguay

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is plastic waste exports in Uruguay?
Plastic waste exports in Uruguay was 815.31 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 Uruguay?
The highest recorded value was 5,947 tonnes in 2006.
What is the lowest plastic waste exports recorded in Uruguay?
The lowest recorded value was 95 tonnes in 1994.
How does Uruguay rank for plastic waste exports?
Uruguay ranks 97th out of 167 countries with data for 2023.
Is plastic waste exports rising or falling in Uruguay?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Uruguay 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.