China and India, the world's most populous countries in the world, were some of the largest producers of food waste, with an estimated 109 million and 78 million metric tons in 2022, respectively. It is estimated that per capita food waste production is highest in Western Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sources of food waste The global population produced approximately one billion metric tons of food waste in 2022. This represented roughly 17 percent of total food made available. Household food waste was the main source of food waste that year, accounting for 60 percent of the total. The second main source of food waste was the foodservice sector. Why is food waste such a problem? Food waste has many societal impacts. It not only costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and depletes resources, but it also harms the environment and contributes to the climate crisis. When food waste is dumped at landfill sites it rots and produces large volumes of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste accounts for an estimated nine percent of global food system greenhouse gas emissions, which in 2015 totaled 17.9 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

Every year huge quantities of food are discarded worldwide. On average, 132 kilograms of food were waste per person in 2022, with households wasting an average of 79 kilograms per person. Food waste is a major issue worldwide, not just in terms of hunger, but also emissions. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to food waste.

Every year roughly one billion ton of food is wasted around the world. While it has often been believed that food waste is more of a problem in wealthier countries, estimates show that the problem is also prevalent in developing nations. Although China and India produced the most household food waste in 2022, the average volume produced per capita in these countries was less than the global average of 79 kilograms. Meanwhile in Iraq and Pakistan, the average person generated more than 100 kilograms of food waste that year. Dealing with food waste Households are the largest food waste producing sector. However, they are not the only part of the system that is responsible for the waste. To solve the issue of food waste, all establishments along the chain need to be considered, including farms, supermarkets, and restaurants. Food loss along the supply chain can be caused by overproduction, product damage, lack of refrigeration (cold-chain infrastructure), and market fluctuations. There are various approaches that may focus on specific areas of the supply chain, information policies and education programs, and developing governmental regulations to improve the situation.

It is estimated that over one billion metric tons of food waste was produced worldwide in 2022. Households produced around 631 million metric tons, which translates to a per capita food waste generation of 79 kilograms, or 60 percent of total generation. Meanwhile, food service generated nearly 300 million tons of food waste across the globe.

Per capita household food waste generation varies signicantly across the globe. In 2022, an estimated 140 kilograms of food waste per capita were generated in Northern Africa. Meanwhile, the average eastern European generated almost one-third of this value, at 53 kilograms per person. Globally, food waste generation in households was estimated at 79 kilograms per capita.

This statistic shows the share of food that is wasted globally, both the share that is perceived by the consumer and the actual value. In 2018, the average household in the United States estimated that they wasted 15 percent of purchased food but actually wasted 24 percent of their food items.

China and India produce more household food waste than any other country worldwide at an estimated 92 million and 69 million metric tons every year, respectively. This is unsurprising, considering both countries have by far the largest populations globally. Food waste has often been thought to be concentrated in wealthier countries, however, in terms of food waste per capita, there are similarities between developed and developing countries. It is estimated that per capita food waste production is highest in Western Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sources of food waste

The global population produced approximately 931 million metric tons of food waste in 2019. This represented roughly 17 percent of total food made available. Household food waste was the main source of food waste that year, accounting for 61 percent of the total. The second main source of food waste was the foodservice sector.

Why is food waste such a problem?

Food waste has many societal impacts that affect all of us. It not only costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and depletes resources, but it also harms the environment and contributes to the climate crisis. When food waste is dumped at landfill sites it rots and produces large volumes of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste accounts for an estimated nine percent of global food system greenhouse gas emissions, which in 2015 totaled 17.9 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.

This statistic represents the percentage of food wasted worldwide in 2017, broken down by food category. As of 2017, fruits and vegetables accounted for 38 percent of the volume of food loss and waste worldwide.

This statistic represents the per capita waste of edible food worldwide from 2010 to 2015, with a breakdown by sector. In 2015, roughly 42.1 kilograms of edible food per capita were thrown away in households.

This statistic shows the attitudes towards food waste in selected countries* in 2020. Survey respondents in Canada, Germany, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates were asked why they think minimizing their food waste is important. The results show that approximately 50 percent of respondents believe that food waste is morally wrong.

This statistic shows the volume of food that is lost globally in 2015, broken down by value chain. In this year, some 350 million metric tons of food are lost through handling and storage per year worldwide.

This statistic depicts the distribution of regional food that is lost and wasted worldwide in 2015, broken down by stage. The harvesting process accounted for about 11.3 percent of food lost and wasted in North America and Oceania.

This statistic depicts the distribution of food available that was lost and wasted worldwide in 2011. The North American and Oceanic region lost and wasted more than 40 percent of the total food available in the region.

In 2022, approximately 43 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 in the United States stated that food waste is a very big problem in the world. This was by far the lowest share among all age groups. In all other age groups, the share of respondents who considered this issue a very big problem was at least 56 percent or more.

This statistic shows the leading countries taking positive policy steps towards reducing food waste as of 2018. As of 2018, France was the leading country in this regard with an index score of 85.8.

"The Food Loss and Waste score is a weighted average of the indicators in the policies to respond to food loss and waste category. A higher score means that a country is on the right path to addressing food loss and waste."

Food waste has become an immense issue worldwide as millions of people suffer from hunger, but the amount of food waste produced can easily feed those suffering twice over. Fresh produce is generally the most common type of food that is thrown out. For example, fruits and vegetables account for about 30 percent of the world’s food lost during production and processing and about 16 percent of food wasted by retailers and consumers. In many developing nations, food tends to be thrown out after harvest due to a lack of storage facilities, good transportation systems, or refrigeration. On the other hand, food tends to be thrown out in developed nations due to retailer oversupply or consumers allowing food to expire or ignoring leftovers. Confusion from ‘best before’ or ‘sell by dates’ and other food labels can lead people to throw away food before it has expired.

Food waste impacts the environment Wasting food also contributes to wasting water, fertilizer, seeds, fuel, and land that is required to grow. For example, diverting and preventing food waste could save billions of gallons of water per year in the United States alone. In comparison to country emissions, food waste would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, after just China and the United States.

In 2022, approximately 49 percent of male survey respondents in the United States stated that food waste is a very big problem in the world. By contrast, among female respondents, the share of respondents who considered it a very big problem was about 60 percent.

This statistic shows the cost of food waste to the global economy in 2014, with a breakdown by sector. In that year, the social costs of food waste amounted to approximately 900 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2019, the export value of food waste from China amounted to approximately 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. Comparatively, the export value of food waste from Bangladesh is estimated to have amounted to approximately ten thousand U.S. dollars in 2019.

In 2022, approximately 55 percent of survey respondents in the United States stated that food waste is a very big problem in the world. A total of about five percent considered it to be not a very big problem or not a problem at all.