China accounted for 32 percent of global plastic materials production in 2022, making it the world's largest plastic producer by far. The rest of Asia accounted for an additional 19 percent while North America held another 17 percent share of global plastic production. The total worldwide production of plastics surpassed 400 million metric tons in 2022.
Plastic: the material to replace many
Plastics are used in almost every segment of life – from everyday life to industrial applications. On a global level, plastics have displaced many traditional materials, such as wood, stone, horn and bone, leather, paper, metal, glass, and ceramic. Global plastics use is projected to continue rising over the coming decades to reach more than 1.2 billion metric tons by 2060.
China: the plastic leader
As the leading manufacturing economy and exporter of goods in the world, it is not surprising that China is the world’s largest producer of plastic as well. China's monthly production of plastics ranges between six and 12 million metric tons.
Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region
Based on an estimated total global production of 400.3 million metric tons
Supplementary notes
* Includes Asian countries (except China and Japan), Oceania, Turkey and Ukraine.
** Commonwealth of Independent States: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Estimated data.
Figures include fossil-based, recycled (mechanically and chemically), bio-based and bio-attributed plastics
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PlasticsEurope. (October 19, 2023). Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 06, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/
PlasticsEurope. "Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region." Chart. October 19, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 06, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/
PlasticsEurope. (2023). Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 06, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/
PlasticsEurope. "Distribution of Global Plastic Materials Production in 2022, by Region." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/
PlasticsEurope, Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/ (last visited October 06, 2024)
Distribution of global plastic materials production in 2022, by region [Graph], PlasticsEurope, October 19, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/281126/global-plastics-production-share-of-various-countries-and-regions/