Recent estimates show that households worldwide waste an average of about 79 kilograms of food per person each year, contributing to a global total of roughly 1.05 billion tonnes of food wasted annually at the retail, food service, and household levels.
Countries with the Highest Per-Capita Food Waste
Data compiled from the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024 and related analyses rank countries by estimated household food waste per person. The Maldives leads with approximately 207 kg per capita annually, followed by Seychelles at 183 kg, Syria and Tunisia at 172 kg each, Egypt at 163 kg, and the Dominican Republic at 160 kg.
Other notable entries include Pakistan at 130 kg, Romania at around 130 kg (among the higher rates in Europe), and lower figures in places like Spain at about 39 kg. Hotter climates often correlate with higher household waste, potentially due to greater reliance on fresh produce and limited refrigeration access.
Why Food Waste Matters
Beyond the economic cost—estimated at around $1 trillion globally each year—food waste exacerbates hunger for hundreds of millions while contributing to environmental strain through landfill methane emissions and inefficient resource use in production.
Practical Steps to Reduce Waste at Home
Households can make a significant impact through simple changes. Planning meals and creating shopping lists based on what is already on hand helps avoid overbuying. Storing food properly—such as keeping perishables in the right refrigerator zones and freezing items like bread, fruits, or leftovers—extends usability.
Understanding date labels, repurposing ingredients nearing expiration into soups or smoothies, and composting scraps are additional effective strategies recommended by agricultural and environmental authorities. Buying only what will be used and organizing pantries to use older items first also minimize discards.
