Share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of global plastic waste imports was 1.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan, 2003–2024
Source: United Nations Comtrade Database (2025); United Nations Comtrade Database (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan stood at 1.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.6% on the previous year and up 177.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan peaked at 1.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2016.
Pakistan ranks 21st of 183 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0.3% | — |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -34.5% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +26.5% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -40.6% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +71.1% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | +23.3% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -24.0% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -9.8% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | +39.3% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -35.2% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -51.9% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | +329.4% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +187.2% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | -29.9% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | +37.4% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | -24.6% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 1.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.0%, 162.7× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 1.0% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.0%, 21.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +329.4% | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.7034 % 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 3.1 % 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 share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan?
- Share of global plastic waste imports in Pakistan was 1.0% 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 global plastic waste imports recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of global plastic waste imports recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2016.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of global plastic waste imports?
- Pakistan ranks 21st out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global plastic waste imports rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 177.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 global plastic waste imports. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of global plastic waste imports that a country accounts for.