Share of plastic waste exports in Iceland

Iceland: Share of plastic waste exports was 0.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.2%
Change on year
up 53.2%
World rank
47th
of 162 countries
All-time high
0.2%
in 2024
All-time low
0.0%
in 1989
Years of data
23
1988–2024

Share of plastic waste exports in Iceland, 1988–2024

00.050.10.150.20.251988200620241988: 0.012 %1989: 0.011 %1994: 0.052 %1995: 0.043 %1996: 0.048 %2001: 0.03 %2005: 0.021 %2007: 0.029 %2010: 0.026 %2011: 0.03 %2012: 0.028 %2013: 0.033 %2014: 0.032 %2015: 0.042 %2016: 0.056 %2017: 0.054 %2018: 0.122 %2019: 0.131 %2020: 0.228 %2021: 0.066 %2022: 0.115 %2023: 0.157 %2024: 0.24 %

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of plastic waste exports in Iceland is 0.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 53.2% on the previous year and up 657.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of plastic waste exports in Iceland peaked at 0.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.

Iceland ranks 47th of 162 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
1980s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2
1990s 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 3
2000s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3
2010s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 5

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 44 Brazil 0.3% compare
  2. 45 El Salvador 0.3% compare
  3. 46 Nigeria 0.3% compare
  4. 48 Guatemala 0.2% compare
  5. 49 Chile 0.2% compare
  6. 50 Nicaragua 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More environment data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of plastic waste exports in Iceland?
Share of plastic waste exports in Iceland was 0.2% in 2024, according to United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of plastic waste exports recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of plastic waste exports recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
How does Iceland rank for share of plastic waste exports?
Iceland ranks 47th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of plastic waste exports rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 657.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iceland data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of plastic waste exports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Share of plastic waste exports
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 2,674 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

The percentage of global plastic waste exports that a country accounts for.