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Monday, October 7, 2024
CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Stats Gate - Ranked: Countries That Waste the Most Food In The World, 2024

Stats Gate

Ranked: Countries That Waste the Most Food In The World, 2024

Food Waste

Food waste is a major global problem that has negative impacts on the environment, societies, and economies of countries. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report, approximately 931 million tons of food are wasted every year, which accounts for 8 to 10 percent of international carbon emissions related to unconsumed food. The Food Waste Index also revealed that around 17 percent of global food production is thrown away, with households being responsible for 61 percent of this food waste, followed by food service at 26 percent, and the retail industry at 13 percent.

CEOWORLD magazine has published a report that sheds light on the harmful effects of the world’s food waste problem. The publication’s researchers have also highlighted the countries that are the biggest contributors to this international issue. Readers can learn about how countries can work together to tackle this serious problem of global food waste.

How does food waste harm countries?

The UNEP’s Food Waste Index highlights the magnitude of the world’s food waste dilemma. This report suggests that the problem could be more than twofold the size of previous approximations. The Food Waste Index report affirmed that consumer food waste is not an exclusive issue of developed countries as indicated by earlier analysis. Additionally, food storage, production, and transportation losses are not the developing world’s specific concerns.

The Food Waste Index report found that household food waste per capita is the same across lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income, and high-income nations. With these unfavorable realities, food waste reduction is imperative for nutriments squandered increases food insecurity and burdens countries’ waste management systems. Food excess is also a leading contributor to several longstanding environmental concerns, which are pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

Which countries have the highest amount of food waste?

Countries That Waste the Most Food In The World, 2024

RankWaste per Capita (KG)Annual Waste (tons)RegionPopulationGDP (USD million)
1Nigeria18937.9MWestern Africa216,783,400390,002
2Russia1642.1MEastern Europe146,424,7291,862,470
3Greece1421.5MSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)10,413,982242,385
4Bahrain132216.2KWest Asia1,577,05944,994
5Malta12956.8KSouthern Europe519,56220,311
6Iraq1204.7MWest Asia43,324,000297,695
7Tanzania1196.9MEastern Africa61,741,12084,033
8Saudi Arabia1053.6MWest Asia32,175,2241,069,437
9Lebanon105717.5KWest Asia5,490,00037,945
10Yemen1043MWest Asia31,888,69821,045
11Syria1041.8MWest Asia22,923,00011,800
12DR Congo1038.9MCentral Africa95,370,00067,512
13Uganda1034.5MEastern Africa45,562,00052,390
14Mozambique1033.1MEastern Africa32,419,74721,936
15Madagascar1032.8MEastern Africa26,923,35315,763
16Niger1032.4MWestern Africa25,369,41517,073
17Mali1032MWestern Africa22,395,48921,309
18Burkina Faso1032.1MWestern Africa22,185,65420,785
19Malawi1031.9MEastern Africa21,507,72313,176
20Chad1031.6MCentral Africa17,414,71712,596
21Somalia1031.6MEastern Africa18,143,37911,515
22Guinea1031.3MWestern Africa13,261,63823,205
23Burundi1031.2MEastern Africa12,837,7403,190
24South Sudan1031.1MEastern Africa13,249,9246,267
25Togo103830KWestern Africa8,095,4989,111
26Sierra Leone103802.4KWestern Africa8,494,2603,519
27Central African Republic103487.3KCentral Africa5,633,4122,760
28Liberia103507KWestern Africa5,248,6214,347
29Eritrea103359.1KEastern Africa3,748,9022,255
30Gambia103241.1KWestern Africa2,417,4712,388
31Guinea-Bissau103197.3KWestern Africa1,781,3081,991
32Australia1022.6MAustralasia26,461,9121,687,713
33Palestine101501.6KWest Asia5,483,45018,109
34Georgia101403.6KEastern Europe3,736,40030,023
35Angola1003.2MCentral Africa33,086,27893,796
36Ivory Coast1002.6MCaribbean29,389,15079,430
37Cameroon1002.6MCentral Africa28,088,84549,262
38Senegal1001.6MWestern Africa18,275,74331,141
39Zimbabwe1001.5MEastern Africa15,178,97932,424
40Benin1001.2MWestern Africa12,606,99819,940
41Israel100848.4KWest Asia9,827,000521,688
42Republic of the Congo100535.9KCentral Africa6,106,86914,407
43Mauritania100450.7KWestern Africa4,475,68310,357
44Lesotho100211.7KSouthern Africa2,306,0002,373
45Eswatini100114.3KSouthern Africa1,223,3624,648
46Djibouti10097KEastern Africa1,001,4543,873
47Comoros10084.7KEastern Africa758,3161,364
48Cape Verde10054.8KWestern Africa491,2332,598
49São Tomé and Príncipe10021.4KCentral Africa214,610674
50Kenya995.2MEastern Africa51,526,000112,749
51Sudan974.2MNorthern Africa41,984,50025,569
52Tajikistan97906.2KCentral Asia10,077,60011,816
53United Arab Emirates95923.7KWest Asia9,282,410509,179
54Oman95470.3KWest Asia5,113,071108,282
55Kuwait95397.7KWest Asia4,670,713159,687
56Qatar95267.7KWest Asia2,656,032235,500
57Cyprus95113.3KWest Asia918,10032,032
58Mexico9412MNorth America129,406,7361,811,468
59Hungary94908.7KCentral Europe9,597,085203,829
60Turkey937.8MWest Asia85,279,5531,154,600
61Jordan93939.9KWest Asia11,302,00050,022
62Azerbaijan93934.9KWest Asia10,151,51777,392
63Armenia93275.2KWest Asia2,981,20024,540
64Mauritius93118.6KEastern Africa1,261,04114,819
65Seychelles939.1KEastern Africa100,4472,085
66Ethiopia9210.3MEastern Africa107,334,000155,804
67Botswana92211.8KSouthern Africa2,410,33820,756
68Namibia92229.3KSouthern Africa2,641,85712,647
69Gabon92199.7KCentral Africa2,233,27219,319
70Equatorial Guinea92124.7KCentral Africa1,558,16010,041
71Egypt919.1MNorthern Africa104,462,545398,397
72Algeria913.9MNorthern Africa45,400,000224,107
73Morocco913.3MNorthern Africa37,022,000147,343
74Uzbekistan913MCentral Asia36,599,76490,392
75Malaysia912.9MSoutheastern Asia33,379,500430,895
76Tunisia911.1MNorthern Africa11,850,23251,271
77Papua New Guinea91798.8KMelanesia11,781,55931,692
78Kyrgyzstan91584KCentral Asia7,100,00012,681
79Solomon Islands9161KMelanesia734,8871,690
80Vanuatu9127.3KMelanesia301,2951,166
81Kiribati9110.7KMicronesia121,388297
82Micronesia9110.4KMicronesia105,754458
83Luxembourg9055.1KWestern Europe660,80989,095
84Philippines869.3MSoutheastern Asia112,892,781435,675
85Myanmar864.7MSoutheastern Asia55,770,23274,861
86Cambodia861.4MSoutheastern Asia17,091,46430,943
87Laos86619KSoutheastern Asia7,443,00014,244
88Timor Leste (East Timor)86111.6KSoutheastern Asia1,354,6622,023
89France855.5MWestern Europe68,373,0003,049,016
90Ghana842.6MWestern Africa30,832,01976,628
91Portugal84861.8KSouthern Europe10,467,366276,432
92Croatia84348.1KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)3,855,64180,185
93Andorra846.5KSouthern Europe83,5233,692
94San Marino842.9KSouthern Europe33,8891,998
95Haiti83936.9KCaribbean11,743,01725,986
96Serbia83726.2KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)6,641,19775,015
97Bosnia and Herzegovina83273.3KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)3,277,08226,945
98Albania83238.5KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)2,761,78523,032
99North Macedonia83172.5KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)1,832,69615,801
100Montenegro8352KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)616,6957,058
101Afghanistan823.1MSouthern Asia 34,262,84014,939
102North Korea812.1MEastern Asia25,660,00048,350
103Sweden81812.9KNorthern Europe10,558,012597,110
104Denmark81469.4KNorthern Europe5,959,464420,800
105Bolivia80922KSouth America12,006,03146,796
106Honduras80780.5KCentral America9,745,14933,992
107Nicaragua80524.2KCentral America6,733,76317,353
108El Salvador80516.8KCentral America6,884,88835,339
109Singapore80465.4KSoutheastern Asia5,917,600497,347
110Brunei8034.7KSoutheastern Asia445,40015,153
111Thailand795.5MSoutheastern Asia68,263,022512,193
112Canada792.9MNorth America40,528,3962,117,805
113Nepal792.2MSouthern Asia29,164,57841,339
114Norway79423.9KNorthern Europe5,533,582546,768
115Bhutan7960KSouthern Asia770,2762,686
116Palau791.4KMicronesia16,733267
117Nauru79850Micronesia11,680150
118Zambia781.4MEastern Africa19,610,76929,536
119Mongolia78250.2KEastern Asia3,457,54818,782
120Estonia78102.7KNorthern Europe1,365,88441,799
121Indonesia7720.9MSoutheastern Asia279,118,8661,417,387
122United Kingdom775.2MWestern Europe67,026,2923,332,059
123Spain773.6MSouthern Europe48,345,2231,582,054
124Vietnam767.3MSoutheastern Asia100,300,000433,356
125Ukraine763.3MEastern Europe41,130,432173,413
126Sri Lanka761.6MSouthern Asia22,037,00088,309
127Kazakhstan761.4MCentral Asia20,000,000259,292
128Libya76513.1KNorthern Africa6,931,06140,194
129Turkmenistan76449.9KCentral Asia7,057,84181,822
130Moldova76307.4KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)2,512,75816,000
131Lithuania76210.3KNorthern Europe2,869,66079,427
132Latvia76145.3KNorthern Europe1,874,70046,668
133Fiji7667.4KMelanesia893,4685,511
134Iceland7625.8KNorthern Europe396,96030,570
135Samoa7614.9KPolynesia205,557939
136Tonga767.9KPolynesia100,179547
137Tuvalu76878Polynesia10,67963
138Germany756.3MCentral Europe84,607,0164,429,838
139Pakistan7415.9MSouthern Asia241,499,431340,636
140Chile741.4MSouth America19,960,889344,400
141Panama74313.9KCentral America4,337,40682,348
142Uruguay74255.9KSouth America3,444,26376,244
143Trinidad and Tobago74103.1KCaribbean1,365,80527,887
144Bahamas7428.8KCaribbean397,36013,876
145Barbados7421.2KCaribbean267,8006,220
146Antigua and Barbuda747.2KCaribbean100,7721,949
147Rwanda743.9KEastern Africa13,246,39413,927
148Saint Lucia742.8KCaribbean178,6962,469
149Argentina723.2MSouth America46,654,581621,833
150Peru722.4MSouth America33,396,698264,636
151Venezuela722.1MSouth America28,302,00092,210
152Ecuador721.3MSouth America16,938,986118,686
153Guatemala721.3MCentral America17,602,431102,765
154Dominican Republic72777.8KCaribbean10,760,028120,629
155Cuba72820.9KCaribbean11,089,511107,528
156Switzerland72616KWestern Europe8,931,306905,684
157Paraguay72510.3KSouth America6,109,64444,142
158Costa Rica72365.6KCentral America5,262,22585,590
159Jamaica72213.6KEastern Asia2,825,54418,761
160Guyana7256.7KSouth America743,69916,329
161Suriname7242.1KSouth America616,5003,539
162Saint Kitts and Nevis7213.2KCaribbean47,1951,069
163Grenada728.1KCaribbean112,5791,306
164Saint Vincent and the Grenadines728KCaribbean110,8721,039
165Dominica725.2KCaribbean67,408697
166Liechtenstein722.7KCentral Europe39,7246,608
167Monaco722.8KWestern Europe39,0508,596
168Iran715.9MWest Asia84,038,000366,438
169South Korea713.7MEastern Asia51,439,0381,709,232
170Hong Kong (China)71531KEastern Asia7,498,100385,546
171Macau (China)7145.7KEastern Asia681,30038,480
172Maldives7137.7KSouthern Asia382,7516,977
173Colombia703.5MSouth America52,215,503363,835
174Qatar701.4MWest Asia2,656,032235,500
175Czech Republic70746.9KCentral Europe10,882,235335,243
176Slovakia70381.3KCentral Europe5,426,468133,044
177Belarus68646.4KEastern Europe9,200,61768,864
178Bulgaria68478.7KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)6,447,710103,099
179Italy674.1MSouthern Europe58,919,3452,186,082
180Bangladesh6510.6MSouthern Asia169,828,911446,349
181Finland65361.9KNorthern Europe5,572,545305,689
182China6491.6MEastern Asia1,409,670,00017,700,899
183Japan648.2MWest Asia124,240,0004,230,862
184New Zealand61291.8KAustralasia5,223,100249,415
185Brazil6012.6MSouth America203,062,5122,126,809
186United States5919.4MNorth America335,893,23826,949,643
187Poland562.1MCentral Europe37,667,000842,172
188Ireland55267.1KWestern Europe5,281,600589,569
189Belize5320.6KCentral America441,4713,218
190India5068.8MSouthern Asia1,392,329,0003,732,224
191Netherlands50854.9KWestern Europe17,590,0001,092,748
192Belgium50576KWestern Europe11,801,722627,511
193South Africa402.3MSouthern Africa62,027,503380,906
194Austria39349.2KCentral Europe9,154,514526,182
195Slovenia3471.1KSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)2,120,93768,394
196Romania334.9MSoutheastern Europe (Balkans)19,051,562350,414

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers discovered that the food waste problem is worse than previously thought. They found the following information about the world’s top contributors to this critical international dilemma.

Countries That Waste the Most Food In The World, 2024

The data above shows the approximate yearly food waste per contributor, with China leading at 91 million tons. The exact methodology for determining the estimates is different from country to country. CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers have the following explanation for the figures: Analysts point to China’s most populated country status as to why it has the highest gross amount of food waste at over 91 million tons a year. The Asian country’s population at the time of this writing is exactly 1,425,392,198 people.

India trails behind China when it comes to gross food waste amount, surpassing a staggering 68 million tons annually. Similar to Asia’s most populated country, the exactly 1,436,032,238 people to date in India are seen as the reason for the overwhelming amounts of unconsumed food in the South Asian country. The United States dominates the world when it comes to food production, export, and technology. It is also the world’s largest food consumer. With these facts, the United States’ gross food waste amount exceeds 19 million tons yearly.

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers discovered that Japan’s nature of being a densely populated land is pointed to as the main reason for its whopping food waste count. This Asian country’s gross food waste total is more than 8 million tons a year. Germany lands on the list above of the countries with the highest amount of food waste, thanks to its status as an industrialized country and its relatively large size like other European territories. The gross food excess amount in this country is over 6 million tons annually.

France is renowned for its people’s love of food and being home to iconic baked products like the croissant, pain au chocolat, tarte aux framboise, and macarons. These attributes of the European country unsurprisingly land it on the list of countries with the highest amount of food waste, with more than 5 million tons in gross tally per year. Like many developed countries in Europe where food technology and production are state-of-the-art, the United Kingdom is also not immune to the global food waste problem. The gross food excess amount in this country surpasses 5 million tons yearly. 

Russia’s land area and population of more than 144 million people at the time of writing this report are linked to its enormous amount of food waste. In this country, over 4 million tons of food excess has been recorded. The Spanish culture of love for food and social gatherings is seen as the primary reason why Spain is a top contributor to the world food waste dilemma. The gross food excess amount in this Southwestern European country is greater than 3 million tons annually, and much of this waste is linked to social celebrations.

CEOWORLD magazine’s researchers found that Australia may be among the global leaders in green energy conservation initiatives, yet it is also a main contributor to the international food waste issue. The largest country in Oceania has over 2 million tons of food getting squandered a year. The top 10 countries on the list above are the world’s developed countries, emerging economies, and the most populated. With their advancement in food technology and production, land area, and billions of people, they have become the world’s main causes of the food waste dilemma.

How can the world’s top food waste contributors assist in resolving the problem?

CEOWORLD magazine believes the ten countries that have the highest amount of food waste per year can also be the solution and the role model for the rest of the world, considering their wealth and advancement in technology. These nations can follow the Food Waste Index’s recommendation of governments utilizing the report’s methodology for gauging food waste at retail, household, and food service levels.

In this way, these countries can guide their national strategies for food excess prevention and track their progress towards the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. The latter commits nations to halving the per capita international food waste at all levels. Furthermore, food waste can be reduced by encouraging consumers to compost food scraps to return the nutrients to the earth and decrease their carbon footprint. Sharing any surplus food or donating it via informal sharing with family and friends and food banks is also helpful.

Consumers are recommended to purchase local produce. In this manner, they can help combat pollution through the reduction of food delivery distances. Finally, taking smaller food portions and using leftovers as added ingredients to another meal can diminish food waste. These significant steps can have considerable benefits to countries’ economies, societies, and environment in the long run.


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CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Stats Gate - Ranked: Countries That Waste the Most Food In The World, 2024
Nikolas Anderson
Associate Editor at CEOWORLD Magazine. I report on CEOs, boards, corporate governance, what’s going on inside the world’s biggest companies, and the future of work. Previously, I was Senior Energy Correspondent covering oil and gas companies, G-20 energy policy, and the global transition towards cleaner fuels.