Share of plastic waste exports in Iran

Iran: Share of plastic waste exports was 0.3% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
0.3%
Change on year
up 414.9%
World rank
41st
of 162 countries
All-time high
0.3%
in 2018
All-time low
0.0%
in 2001
Years of data
10
2001–2018

Share of plastic waste exports in Iran, 2001–2018

00.10.20.32001200920182001: 0.009 %2005: 0.072 %2010: 0.084 %2011: 0.091 %2013: 0.012 %2014: 0.025 %2015: 0.053 %2016: 0.054 %2017: 0.058 %2018: 0.301 %

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 Iran is 0.3%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 414.9% on the previous year and up 256.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of plastic waste exports in Iran peaked at 0.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2001.

That places Iran 41st out of 162 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 2
2010s 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 8

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 38 Belarus 0.3% compare
  2. 39 Cyprus 0.3% compare
  3. 42 Uganda 0.3% compare
  4. 43 Bangladesh 0.3% compare
  5. 44 Brazil 0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More environment data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of plastic waste exports in Iran?
Share of plastic waste exports in Iran was 0.3% in 2018, 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 Iran?
The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest share of plastic waste exports recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2001.
How does Iran rank for share of plastic waste exports?
Iran ranks 41st out of 162 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of plastic waste exports rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 256.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Iran 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.

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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.