In 2022, the European Union exported 32.1 million tons of waste to third countries, marking a slight decrease of 3% compared to 2021. During the same period, waste imports from third countries to the EU fell by 5% to 18.7 million tons, according to annual data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Cyprus exported 81.9 thousand tons of waste outside the EU in 2022, an increase of 18% over 2021 (69.5 thousand tons). In the same year, Cyprus imported 41.9 thousand tons of waste from third countries, representing a 17% decrease compared to 2021 (50.6 thousand tons).

In 2022, Cyprus's largest waste exports to third countries were to India (48.1 thousand tons), Lebanon (7.3 thousand tons), Egypt (7.2 thousand tons), Thailand (4.9 thousand tons), Pakistan (4.3 thousand tons), and Israel (3.7 thousand tons).

Cyprus's largest waste imports were from the United Kingdom (41.2 thousand tons), Egypt (571 tons), and Lebanon (40 tons).

According to the same data, 39% of the waste exported by the EU in 2022 went to Turkey (12.4 million tons), with India receiving the second-largest volume (3.5 million tons). Other significant recipients in 2022 included the United Kingdom (2.0 million tons), Switzerland (1.6 million tons), Norway (1.6 million tons), Egypt (1.6 million tons), Pakistan (1.2 million tons), Indonesia (1.1 million tons), and Morocco and the United States (0.8 million tons each).