Global Food Waste Is 132 kg per Person | Reading the UN Food Waste Index

Food is lost not only between the field and the table, but also in stores and homes. The Food Waste Index Report 2024, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2024, estimates the amount of food discarded worldwide at three stages: retail, food service, and households.

1.052 Billion Tons, 60% of It From Households

According to the report, global food waste in 2022 totaled 1.052 billion tons, including inedible parts. Converted per person, that is 132kg per year. The breakdown was 631 million tons from households (79kg per person), 290 million tons from food service (36kg), and 131 million tons from retail (17kg), with households accounting for about 60%. The report also notes that this means up to 19% of food reaching the consumption stage may be wasted.

Key point: Global food waste reached 1.052 billion tons in 2022, or 132kg per person per year. Households account for about 60%, and the average difference between households in high-income and middle-income countries is only 7kg per person per year. The report’s view is that this is not “a problem only for wealthy countries.”

Differences by Income Are Small

What is surprising is how small the differences are by a country’s income level. The average per person for households is 81kg in high-income countries, 88kg in upper-middle-income countries, and 86kg in lower-middle-income countries, a difference of about 7kg. The report also notes a tendency for household waste to be higher in hotter countries, suggesting multiple possible factors such as consumption of thick-skinned fruits and the spread of refrigeration equipment. It also tends to be lower in rural areas than in cities, with one reason given being circular use of leftovers as livestock feed or compost.

A Note When Comparing With Japan’s “Food Loss”

According to the Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan’s food loss in fiscal 2024 was 4.61 million tons (2.24 million tons from households and 2.37 million tons from businesses), down 30,000 tons from 4.64 million tons the previous fiscal year. However, Japan’s “food loss” counts parts that were originally edible but discarded. UNEP’s figures include inedible parts such as bones and peels, so the two cannot be compared directly as they are.

Food waste is also estimated to account for the equivalent of 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions. For a way of living that avoids buying too much, see Buy Less, Buy Better is also worth reading.

References: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Consumer Affairs Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ministry of the Environment

—The Value Village Editorial Team