In the past decade, plastic pollution has become one of the most visible environmental issues worldwide. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean, affecting marine life, coastal communities, and ecosystems.<\/p>\n
This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, <\/a>ranks the countries responsible for the highest cumulative leakage of mismanaged plastic waste that escaped and washed up on other countries\u2019 beaches from 2010 to 2019.<\/p>\n The data for this visualization comes from the Global Plastic Hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n Asia Leads in Ocean Plastic Leakage<\/p>\n China is the largest contributor, responsible for over 2.6 million tonnes of plastic waste that ended up on foreign beaches.<\/p>\n It\u2019s followed by the Philippines (1.7 million tonnes), and India (966,000 tonnes).<\/p>\n Rapid economic growth, urbanization, and inadequate waste management systems contribute to these high figures.<\/p>\n Seven of the top 10 countries on the list are in Asia, underlining the region\u2019s central role in the global ocean plastic crisis.<\/p>\n Rank<\/p>\n Country<\/p>\n Tonnes (2010-2019)<\/p>\n 1<\/p>\n China<\/p>\n 2,683,631<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Philippines<\/p>\n 1,695,260<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n India<\/p>\n 966,447<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Brazil<\/p>\n 639,665<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n Indonesia<\/p>\n 599,020<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Nigeria<\/p>\n 496,841<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Viet Nam<\/p>\n 484,457<\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Turkey<\/p>\n 354,441<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Thailand<\/p>\n 338,685<\/p>\n 10<\/p>\n Malaysia<\/p>\n 332,756<\/p>\n 11<\/p>\n Bangladesh<\/p>\n 315,755<\/p>\n 12<\/p>\n Venezuela<\/p>\n 231,132<\/p>\n 13<\/p>\n Bird Island<\/p>\n 231,132<\/p>\n 14<\/p>\n Myanmar<\/p>\n 209,495<\/p>\n 15<\/p>\n Egypt<\/p>\n 208,321<\/p>\n 16<\/p>\n Algeria<\/p>\n 157,952<\/p>\n 17<\/p>\n Tanzania<\/p>\n 114,737<\/p>\n 18<\/p>\n Ghana<\/p>\n 107,907<\/p>\n 19<\/p>\n Taiwan, Province of China<\/p>\n 97,418<\/p>\n 20<\/p>\n Uruguay<\/p>\n 94,544<\/p>\n 21<\/p>\n Tunisia<\/p>\n 89,176<\/p>\n 22<\/p>\n Haiti<\/p>\n 84,238<\/p>\n 23<\/p>\n Dominican Republic<\/p>\n 83,121<\/p>\n 24<\/p>\n Libya<\/p>\n 73,477<\/p>\n 25<\/p>\n Mozambique<\/p>\n 72,578<\/p>\n 26<\/p>\n Cameroon<\/p>\n 67,709<\/p>\n 27<\/p>\n C\u00f4te d’Ivoire<\/p>\n 57,394<\/p>\n 28<\/p>\n Pakistan<\/p>\n 53,641<\/p>\n 29<\/p>\n Angola<\/p>\n 52,877<\/p>\n 30<\/p>\n Colombia<\/p>\n 47,506<\/p>\n 31<\/p>\n Morocco<\/p>\n 44,087<\/p>\n 32<\/p>\n Sri Lanka<\/p>\n 41,648<\/p>\n 33<\/p>\n Peru<\/p>\n 39,863<\/p>\n 34<\/p>\n Papua New Guinea<\/p>\n 36,165<\/p>\n 35<\/p>\n Yemen<\/p>\n 35,625<\/p>\n 36<\/p>\n Trinidad and Tobago<\/p>\n 35,244<\/p>\n 37<\/p>\n Benin<\/p>\n 32,298<\/p>\n 38<\/p>\n Togo<\/p>\n 31,773<\/p>\n 39<\/p>\n Mexico<\/p>\n 31,004<\/p>\n 40<\/p>\n South Africa<\/p>\n 30,352<\/p>\n 41<\/p>\n Ecuador<\/p>\n 29,678<\/p>\n 42<\/p>\n Solomon Islands<\/p>\n 27,939<\/p>\n 43<\/p>\n Honduras<\/p>\n 26,859<\/p>\n 44<\/p>\n Greece<\/p>\n 25,983<\/p>\n 45<\/p>\n Ukraine<\/p>\n 25,859<\/p>\n 46<\/p>\n Guinea<\/p>\n 25,167<\/p>\n 47<\/p>\n Comoros<\/p>\n 24,691<\/p>\n 48<\/p>\n Sierra Leone<\/p>\n 23,826<\/p>\n 49<\/p>\n Hong Kong, China<\/p>\n 23,471<\/p>\n 50<\/p>\n Russian Federation<\/p>\n 20,770<\/p>\n 51<\/p>\n Senegal<\/p>\n 19,569<\/p>\n 52<\/p>\n Lebanon<\/p>\n 19,420<\/p>\n 53<\/p>\n Guatemala<\/p>\n 19,015<\/p>\n 54<\/p>\n Albania<\/p>\n 18,501<\/p>\n 55<\/p>\n U.S.<\/p>\n 16,910<\/p>\n 56<\/p>\n Panama<\/p>\n 16,346<\/p>\n 57<\/p>\n Jamaica<\/p>\n 16,260<\/p>\n 58<\/p>\n Belize<\/p>\n 15,383<\/p>\n 59<\/p>\n Guyana<\/p>\n 15,235<\/p>\n 60<\/p>\n Nicaragua<\/p>\n 15,199<\/p>\n 61<\/p>\n Liberia<\/p>\n 14,220<\/p>\n 62<\/p>\n Kuwait<\/p>\n 12,740<\/p>\n 63<\/p>\n Gambia<\/p>\n 12,178<\/p>\n 64<\/p>\n Suriname<\/p>\n 11,589<\/p>\n 65<\/p>\n Sudan<\/p>\n 11,308<\/p>\n 66<\/p>\n Guinea-Bissau<\/p>\n 10,819<\/p>\n 67<\/p>\n Iran<\/p>\n 10,750<\/p>\n 68<\/p>\n Congo<\/p>\n 9,476<\/p>\n 69<\/p>\n Democratic People’s Republic of Korea<\/p>\n 8,873<\/p>\n 70<\/p>\n Kenya<\/p>\n 7,941<\/p>\n 71<\/p>\n El Salvador<\/p>\n 7,504<\/p>\n 72<\/p>\n Netherlands<\/p>\n 6,488<\/p>\n 73<\/p>\n UK<\/p>\n 6,242<\/p>\n 74<\/p>\n Timor-Leste<\/p>\n 6,238<\/p>\n 75<\/p>\n Italy<\/p>\n 5,930<\/p>\n 76<\/p>\n Spain<\/p>\n 5,708<\/p>\n 77<\/p>\n Canary Islands (Sp.)<\/p>\n 5,708<\/p>\n 78<\/p>\n Eritrea<\/p>\n 5,677<\/p>\n 79<\/p>\n Equatorial Guinea<\/p>\n 5,328<\/p>\n 80<\/p>\n Argentina<\/p>\n 4,847<\/p>\n 81<\/p>\n Costa Rica<\/p>\n 4,384<\/p>\n 82<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n 4,099<\/p>\n 83<\/p>\n Croatia<\/p>\n 3,964<\/p>\n 84<\/p>\n Djibouti<\/p>\n 3,401<\/p>\n 85<\/p>\n Japan<\/p>\n 3,208<\/p>\n 86<\/p>\n Syrian Arab Republic<\/p>\n 3,019<\/p>\n 87<\/p>\n Australia<\/p>\n 2,920<\/p>\n 88<\/p>\n Ashmore & Cartier Is.<\/p>\n 2,920<\/p>\n 89<\/p>\n Republic of Korea<\/p>\n 2,865<\/p>\n 90<\/p>\n Mauritania<\/p>\n 2,845<\/p>\n 91<\/p>\n United Arab Emirates<\/p>\n 2,659<\/p>\n 92<\/p>\n Somalia<\/p>\n 2,371<\/p>\n 93<\/p>\n Israel<\/p>\n 2,368<\/p>\n 94<\/p>\n Fiji<\/p>\n 2,340<\/p>\n 95<\/p>\n Cambodia<\/p>\n 2,212<\/p>\n 96<\/p>\n Gabon<\/p>\n 2,199<\/p>\n 97<\/p>\n Madagascar<\/p>\n 2,132<\/p>\n 98<\/p>\n Germany<\/p>\n 1,899<\/p>\n 99<\/p>\n Romania<\/p>\n 1,825<\/p>\n 100<\/p>\n Montenegro<\/p>\n 1,804<\/p>\n 101<\/p>\n Saint Lucia<\/p>\n 1,591<\/p>\n 102<\/p>\n Chile<\/p>\n 1,447<\/p>\n 103<\/p>\n Sao Tome and Principe<\/p>\n 1,255<\/p>\n 104<\/p>\n France<\/p>\n 1,105<\/p>\n 105<\/p>\n Vanuatu<\/p>\n 997<\/p>\n 106<\/p>\n Cape Verde<\/p>\n 975<\/p>\n 107<\/p>\n Qatar<\/p>\n 868<\/p>\n 108<\/p>\n Samoa<\/p>\n 809<\/p>\n 109<\/p>\n Brunei Darussalam<\/p>\n 797<\/p>\n 110<\/p>\n Portugal<\/p>\n 702<\/p>\n 111<\/p>\n Azores Islands (Port.)<\/p>\n 702<\/p>\n 112<\/p>\n Madeira Islands (Port.)<\/p>\n 702<\/p>\n 113<\/p>\n Grenada<\/p>\n 553<\/p>\n 114<\/p>\n Sweden<\/p>\n 514<\/p>\n 115<\/p>\n Ireland<\/p>\n 508<\/p>\n 116<\/p>\n Saint Vincent and the Grenadines<\/p>\n 466<\/p>\n 117<\/p>\n Poland<\/p>\n 439<\/p>\n 118<\/p>\n Georgia<\/p>\n 424<\/p>\n 119<\/p>\n Canada<\/p>\n 421<\/p>\n 120<\/p>\n Dominica<\/p>\n 408<\/p>\n 121<\/p>\n Finland<\/p>\n 397<\/p>\n 122<\/p>\n Namibia<\/p>\n 387<\/p>\n 123<\/p>\n Barbados<\/p>\n 302<\/p>\n 124<\/p>\n Puerto Rico (USA)<\/p>\n 287<\/p>\n 125<\/p>\n Oman<\/p>\n 258<\/p>\n 126<\/p>\n Tonga<\/p>\n 246<\/p>\n 127<\/p>\n Latvia<\/p>\n 211<\/p>\n 128<\/p>\n Bahrain<\/p>\n 204<\/p>\n 129<\/p>\n Bahamas<\/p>\n 179<\/p>\n 130<\/p>\n Antigua and Barbuda<\/p>\n 172<\/p>\n 131<\/p>\n Micronesia<\/p>\n 167<\/p>\n 132<\/p>\n DRC<\/p>\n 149<\/p>\n 133<\/p>\n Norway<\/p>\n 130<\/p>\n Plastic Waste Doesn\u2019t Stay Local<\/p>\n Plastic debris often travels thousands of kilometers across oceans, carried solely by currents, wind, tides, and time.<\/p>\n For example, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch<\/a>\u2014a massive swirling zone between California and Hawaii\u2014accumulates plastic from as far as Asia, North America, and South America.<\/p>\n The patch spans around 1.6 million km\u00b2, comparable to twice the size of Texas.<\/p>\n The annual economic costs due to marine plastic pollution are estimated to be between $6-19 billion. According to the OECD<\/a>, preventing land-based plastic leakage into the ocean across 38 member countries and 10 major plastic waste emitters in Asia and Africa could cost more than $86 billion.<\/p>\n