Approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food are wasted globally each year. This represents 19% of all food available to consumers and retailers. The problem is distributed across households, food service, and retail sectors.
Key Takeaways
- In the US, households waste 40% of all food produced domestically
- Food waste costs global economy $1 trillion annually, including $210 billion in losses
- Food waste in landfills emits 1.6 billion tonnes CO2e globally per year
- Globally, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2019, equivalent to 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level
- On farms worldwide, 10-20% of produce is lost due to unharvestable portions
Global food waste wastes vast resources, so cutting it could significantly help reduce hunger and emissions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer and Household29 stats
01
In the US, households waste 40% of all food produced domestically
02
UK households throw away 6.4 million tonnes of food annually, 70% of which is avoidable
03
In the EU, consumers waste 53 million tonnes of food yearly
04
US consumers waste 325 pounds of food per person per year
05
Australian households discard 2.5 million tonnes of food waste annually
06
In Japan, 21% of rice purchased by households is wasted
07
French households waste 20 kg of fruit and veg per person yearly
08
Germany's per capita household food waste is 81 kg annually
09
In Canada, 2.3 million tonnes of edible food is wasted at home yearly
10
Italy's household food waste totals 2.9 million tonnes per year
11
Sweden households waste 4.3 million kg of bread annually
12
In the Netherlands, 47 kg per capita food waste from households
13
Brazil urban households waste 9.5% of food purchased
14
China's household food waste is 70g per person per day in cities
15
In India, urban households waste 40g of food per person daily
16
South Africa's households contribute 10 million tonnes to MSW, half edible
17
In the US, bread is the top wasted item at 26 billion pounds yearly in homes
18
UK homes waste 1.1 billion glasses of milk annually
19
EU households discard 11kg of meat and fish per capita yearly
20
In Australia, 20% of purchased fruit is thrown out uneaten
21
Japanese households waste 6 million tonnes of food yearly
22
In the US, 30% of fresh vegetables are wasted by consumers
23
Retail food waste in the UK is 170,000 tonnes of bakery products annually
24
Germany's consumers waste 44% of their dairy purchases
25
In Canada, 51% of household food waste is fruits and vegetables
26
Italy homes waste 7kg of pasta per capita yearly
27
In France, 31% of food waste is 'still good to eat'
28
US millennials waste 39% more food than average household
29
In the UK, 'didn't like it' causes 28% of plate waste
Interpretation
Consumer and Household Interpretation
We have apparently mistaken our pantries and refrigerators for landfills, stuffing them with the best of intentions only to later perform a costly and spectacularly wasteful tribute to our own indecision, gluttony, and neglect.
02 · Category
Economic and Policy Implications23 stats
01
Food waste costs global economy $1 trillion annually, including $210 billion in losses
02
US food waste economic loss is $161 billion per year
03
EU food waste costs €143 billion yearly to economy
04
UK food waste value at purchase is £19 billion annually
05
Global retail food waste losses $400 billion USD yearly
06
In the US, reducing food waste could save households $1,500yearly
07
Brazil food waste economic cost is R$70 billion annually
08
France food waste costs €16 billion per year
09
Germany's food waste economic value is €20 billion yearly
10
India food waste losses Rs 92,000 crores annually
11
Australia's food waste costs $20 billion AUD per year
12
Japan's food waste economic loss is ¥2.5 trillion yearly
13
Canada's food waste costs $49 billion CAD over 10 years
14
Italy food waste value is €12 billion annually
15
Netherlands food waste economic cost €5.3 billion yearly
16
China urban food waste costs 240 billion CNY yearly
17
South Africa food waste economic loss R61.5 billion annually
18
Global policy savings from halving food waste by 2030: $300-550 billion
19
US farm-level losses cost producers $15 billion yearly
20
EU policy on food waste could save €6.7 billion in GHG costs
21
UK's Courtauld 2025 aims to cut waste saving £1 billion by 2025
22
In France, anti-waste law recovers 10,000 tonnes food weekly, saving €100m
23
India's FSSAI guidelines could save Rs 50,000 crore yearly
Interpretation
Economic and Policy Implications Interpretation
Our collective habit of treating the world's larder like a disposable income is a trillion-dollar diet of pure, unadulterated fiscal nonsense.
03 · Category
Environmental Consequences25 stats
01
Food waste in landfills emits 1.6 billion tonnes CO2e globally per year
02
Producing wasted food uses 28% of global agricultural land
03
Food loss and waste guzzle 270 cubic km of water annually, worldwide
04
Wasted food accounts for 23% of freshwater used in agriculture
05
Globally, food waste methane from landfills equals 4% of human emissions
06
US food waste contributes 170 million tonnes CO2e yearly
07
EU food waste equals 186 million tonnes CO2e emissions
08
Wasted food production uses 21% of global cropland
09
Food waste generates 8% of global GHG, more than all road transport
10
In the US, wasted food water footprint is 113 trillion gallons yearly
11
Global food waste pollutes 300 million cubic meters of water yearly
12
Landfilled food waste in landfills leaches nutrients harming 20% of rivers
13
Producing uneaten food causes 10% of ocean acidification from CO2
14
Food waste deforestation links to 16% of Amazon soy production waste
15
UK food waste GHG footprint is 25 million tonnes CO2e yearly
16
Global wasted food energy equals 3,300 TWh electricity yearly
17
Food waste contributes to 50% of methane from organic waste globally
18
In Brazil, wasted food uses 10 million hectares of land yearly
19
EU wasted produce fertilizers pollute 15% of groundwater nitrates
20
Global food waste biodiversity loss from 25% wasted habitat crops
21
US food waste landfill volume is 66 million tons yearly
22
Wasted food fisheries deplete 10% of global fish stocks indirectly
23
In India, food waste GHG is 7% of national emissions
24
Food waste incineration releases 1.5 million tonnes NOx globally
25
Global wasted food cropland equals size of China yearly
Interpretation
Environmental Consequences Interpretation
Our planet is essentially farming China, burning the world’s fleet of cars, and poisoning its own water supply just to make a gargantuan landfill sandwich that nobody gets to eat.
More related reading
04 · Category
Global Overview30 stats
01
Globally, approximately 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in 2019, equivalent to 19% of all food available to consumers at retail level
02
Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the emissions from the aviation sector
03
If food loss and waste were a country, it would rank third in greenhouse gas emissions after the USA and China
04
Worldwide, 59 million tonnes of food are wasted annually at retail level
05
Global food waste per capita is 121 kg per year for consumers and retailers combined
06
In 2022, the UNEP Food Waste Index estimated that 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste was generated globally
07
Food loss and waste account for 25% of all fresh water used in agriculture globally
08
Globally, 28% of agricultural land is used to produce food that is later lost or wasted
09
The total volume of food loss and waste in 2016 was estimated at 1.3 billion tonnes
10
Food waste contributes to 6% of total human-caused methane emissions worldwide
11
Per capita food waste in Europe and North America averages 95-115 kg per year
12
In sub-Saharan Africa, food loss during post-harvest handling reaches up to 40% for grains
13
Global retail and consumer food waste totals 931 million tonnes annually
14
Food loss and waste represent a missed opportunity to feed 828 million hungry people globally
15
Worldwide, 13% of food produced is lost between harvest and retail
16
In 2021, global food waste embodied 170 cubic kilometers of water
17
Food waste generates 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions yearly
18
Globally, fruits and vegetables account for 45% of total food loss and waste
19
Dairy products represent 16% of global food waste by weight at consumer level
20
Cereals make up 44% of food losses in developing countries during production
21
Global fish and seafood loss is estimated at 35% of total catch
22
Roots and tubers experience 45% loss rates in low-income countries post-harvest
23
Oilseeds and pulses have 20% average loss globally in supply chains
24
Meat and animal products contribute 12% to global food waste volume
25
Global food waste costs $1 trillion USD annually in economic terms
26
38% of global food loss and waste occurs at consumer level
27
Supply chain losses account for 14% of global food production
28
In high-income countries, 40% of food waste happens at home
29
Low-income regions lose 30% of food before it reaches markets
30
Globally, 20% of dairy production is wasted
Interpretation
Global Overview Interpretation
If food waste were a formal guest at humanity's dinner table, its staggering appetite—devouring a third of the world's supply while belching out enough emissions to be the planet's third-largest polluting nation—would be the most grotesquely impolite and ecocidal party crasher in history.
05 · Category
Production and Supply Chain28 stats
01
On farms worldwide, 10-20% of produce is lost due to unharvestable portions
02
In the US, 9% of food loss occurs during harvesting due to mechanical limitations
03
Post-harvest losses for fruits in developing countries average 30-40%
04
Grain losses during drying and storage reach 15% in humid climates globally
05
In India, 20% of rice is lost post-harvest due to poor storage
06
EU vegetable processing losses average 12% due to trimming and defects
07
US meat processing waste is 18% of production volume
08
Brazil's soybean losses during transport are 5-10%
09
In Africa, 30% of mangoes are lost due to inadequate cooling post-harvest
10
Chinese apple supply chain losses total 25% from farm to wholesale
11
UK bakery production overproduction leads to 10% waste
12
Global fisheries discard 8 million tonnes annually at sea
13
In the Netherlands, 11% of potatoes are lost during sorting and grading
14
Australian wine grape losses post-harvest are 15% due to quality rejection
15
Thailand's rice milling losses average 8-12%
16
In Italy, 20% of tomatoes are discarded at packing houses for cosmetic reasons
17
Canadian dairy farm losses are 5% due to animal health issues
18
Egypt's onion storage losses reach 30% in traditional facilities
19
In the US, 5% of fresh produce is lost in distribution due to spoilage
20
Global cocoa bean losses during fermentation and drying are 10%
21
France's bread production waste is 15% at bakeries
22
In Kenya, 40% of bananas are lost post-harvest due to bruising
23
US seafood processing waste totals 20% of landings
24
India's wheat losses in transport are 4-6%
25
In Europe, 7% of food is wasted in manufacturing due to specs
26
Vietnam's coffee cherry losses post-harvest are 20%
27
In the UK, 25% of fresh produce is rejected at borders for quality
28
Brazil's sugar cane losses during harvest are 12%
Interpretation
Production and Supply Chain Interpretation
Our planet's bounty is being chiseled down at every stage, from field to fork, by a relentless parade of avoidable losses, which means we're essentially farming, fishing, and baking one-fifth of our food just to throw it away.
Reference
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Food Waste Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-waste-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Food Waste Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-waste-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Food Waste Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-waste-statistics.
Sources & references
62 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level