million metric tons in 2023. The 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.
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Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023
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Polymers that are not used in the conversion of plastic parts and products (i.e. for textiles, adhesives, sealants, coatings, etc.) are not included.
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PlasticsEurope. (November 5, 2024). Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in million metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
PlasticsEurope. "Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in million metric tons)." Chart. November 5, 2024. Statista. Accessed August 14, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
PlasticsEurope. (2024). Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in million metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 14, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
PlasticsEurope. "Annual Production of Plastics Worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in Million Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Nov 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
PlasticsEurope, Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in million metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/ (last visited August 14, 2025)
Annual production of plastics worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in million metric tons) [Graph], PlasticsEurope, November 5, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/
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