Share of plastic waste exports in South Korea
South Korea: Share of plastic waste exports was 0.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of plastic waste exports in South Korea, 1988–2024
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 South Korea is 0.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of plastic waste exports in South Korea peaked at 2.7% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2020.
That places South Korea 139th out of 162 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.
Share of plastic waste exports in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 2.5% | — |
| 1989 | 1.7% | -33.3% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -76.0% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -52.9% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +417.5% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | +157.3% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -51.2% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | -16.7% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +11.4% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +19.5% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +35.2% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | +8.3% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | -51.8% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -38.7% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | — |
| 2022 | 0.0% | — |
| 2023 | 0.0% | — |
| 2024 | 0.0% | — |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%. (63 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0%. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of plastic waste exports in South Korea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +417.5% | 0.2% | 1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.0% | 2.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 0.6% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 136 Brunei 0.0% compare
- 137 Angola 0.0% compare
- 138 East Timor 0.0% compare
- 139 Austria 0.0% compare
- 139 Bahrain 0.0% compare
- 139 Canada 0.0% compare
- 139 Fiji 0.0% compare
- 139 France 0.0% compare
- 139 Germany 0.0% compare
- 139 Ghana 0.0% compare
- 139 Hungary 0.0% compare
- 139 Italy 0.0% compare
- 139 Jordan 0.0% compare
- 139 Kazakhstan 0.0% compare
- 139 Lebanon 0.0% compare
- 139 Malaysia 0.0% compare
- 139 Mexico 0.0% compare
- 139 Oman 0.0% compare
- 139 Qatar 0.0% compare
- 139 Romania 0.0% compare
- 139 Singapore 0.0% compare
- 139 Spain 0.0% compare
- 139 Thailand 0.0% compare
- 139 United Arab Emirates 0.0% compare
- 139 United Kingdom 0.0% compare
- 139 United States 0.0% compare
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of plastic waste exports in South Korea?
- Share of plastic waste exports in South Korea was 0.0% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.7% in 2007.
- What is the lowest share of plastic waste exports recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for share of plastic waste exports?
- South Korea ranks 139th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of plastic waste exports rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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
Percentage of global plastic waste exports that a country accounts for.