Global plastic production 1950-2021

The worldwide production of plastics reached a staggering 390.7 million metric tons in 2021. This marks a significant increase of four percent from the previous year. Plastics production has soared since 1950s. The incredible versatility of this group of materials accounts for the continued growth in production year after year. In tandem with that growth, the market value of plastics also continues to grow.

What plastics are and how they are made

Plastics are used in a wide variety of products and have displaced other materials -such as wood, metal, and glass- that were previously used for the applications that plastics now dominate. One of the main applications for plastics use is plastic packaging. The production of plastic requires four basic steps: the acquirement of raw material, synthesizing a basic polymer, compounding the polymer into a usable fraction, and lastly, molding or shaping the plastic.

Leading plastic producers

Asia is the largest plastics producer in the world. China alone accounted for 32 percent of global production in 2021. In recent years, China produced between six and 12 million metric tons of plastic products each month. North America ranks second worldwide in terms of plastic production, with a share of 18 percent in 2021.