Share of global plastic waste imports in Portugal

Portugal: Share of global plastic waste imports was 1.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.5%
Change on year
up 22.0%
World rank
18th
of 183 countries
All-time high
3.9%
in 1988
All-time low
0.0%
in 2021
Years of data
37
1988–2024

Share of global plastic waste imports in Portugal, 1988–2024

012341988200620241988: 3.9 %1989: 1.6 %1990: 2 %1991: 1.4 %1992: 0.936 %1993: 0.27 %1994: 0.182 %1995: 0.155 %1996: 0.268 %1997: 0.188 %1998: 0.166 %1999: 0.126 %2000: 0.117 %2001: 0.105 %2002: 0.134 %2003: 0.07 %2004: 0.057 %2005: 0.102 %2006: 0.104 %2007: 0.086 %2008: 0.104 %2009: 0.089 %2010: 0.134 %2011: 0.34 %2012: 0.285 %2013: 0.345 %2014: 0.542 %2015: 0.903 %2016: 0.637 %2017: 0.86 %2018: 1.5 %2019: 1.8 %2020: 1.2 %2021: 0 %2022: 1.5 %2023: 1.2 %2024: 1.5 %

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 global plastic waste imports in Portugal is 1.5%, measured in 2024.

The figure is up 22.0% on the previous year and up 181.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of global plastic waste imports in Portugal peaked at 3.9% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2021.

That places Portugal 18th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.8% 1.6% 3.9% 2
1990s 0.6% 0.1% 2.0% 10
2000s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 10
2010s 0.7% 0.1% 1.8% 10
2020s 1.1% 0.0% 1.5% 5

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 15 Slovenia 2.4% compare
  2. 16 Lithuania 2.2% compare
  3. 17 Denmark 2.0% compare
  4. 19 Romania 1.2% compare
  5. 20 India 1.2% compare
  6. 21 Pakistan 1.0% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More environment data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of global plastic waste imports in Portugal?
Share of global plastic waste imports in Portugal was 1.5% 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 Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 1988.
What is the lowest share of global plastic waste imports recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2021.
How does Portugal rank for share of global plastic waste imports?
Portugal ranks 18th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of global plastic waste imports rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 181.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Portugal 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

Indicator
Share of global plastic waste imports
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
183 places, 4,496 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

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