Food wasted: latest statistics 2024/25.
Approximately 33% (about 2.5 billion tonnes) of all food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted annually.
This wasted food accounts for 8–10% of total greenhouse gas emissions. If it were a nation it would be the third-largest emitter. China, the United States, and India are the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, together accounting for roughly half of global emissions. Over 60% of this waste occurs at the household level.
UNEP – UN Environment Programme.
Top Emitting Countries
China is the largest emitter, responsible for about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, producing roughly 15.9 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023, primarily from coal-fired electricity and industrial manufacturing.
United States ranks second, emitting around 6.0 gigatonnes (11–12% of global emissions), with high per capita emissions of 17.6 tonnes per person due to energy-intensive lifestyles, transportation, and industrial activity.
India is third, contributing 4.1 gigatonnes (7.8%), largely from coal-based power generation and growing industrial demand.
European Union collectively ranks fourth at 3.2 gigatonnes (6.1%), followed by Russia at 2.7 gigatonnes (5.1%) and other major emitters including Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
Sources: Science Insights | Greenpacks
Key Global Food Facts:
- Source of Waste: Households are responsible for the majority of waste (60%), followed by food services (28%) and retail (12%).
- Most Wasted Foods: Fruits, vegetables, roots, and tubers have the highest wastage rates.
- Impact: Food waste uses 28% of the world’s agricultural area and wastes roughly 45 trillion gallons of water.
- Hunger Correlation: The food wasted could feed approximately 3 billion people, which is more than enough to nourish the entire global population.
Food Loss vs. Food Wasted
Food Loss: Occurs from harvest up to, but not including, the retail stage (e.g., spoilage during transport, poor storage). Food Wasted: Occurs at the retail and consumer levels, such as households, restaurants, and supermarkets.
food.ec.europa.eu
Regional and Economic Impact
While developed nations often waste more at the consumer level, developing nations often experience higher food loss during production and transport due to a lack of cold chain technology. The economic value of this wasted food is estimated to be close to $940 billion each year.
Bottom line: Food Facts * There is enough food produced in the world to feed everyone. … * One third of all food produced is lost or wasted –around 1.3 billion tonnes.
UNEP – UN Environment Programme
23 Oct 2025 — With up to 783 million people in the world still facing hunger and more than 3.1 billion people in the world are unable to afford a healthy diet, the programme is essential.
Food Waste – European Commission’s Food Safety. 11 Jan 2024 — Food statistics vary by country, but according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on a global scale at least one third of food is wasted or lost every year. Twice the size of previous estimates
26 Mar 2021 — Some 931 million tonnes of food goes to waste each year, with between 8-10% of global carbon emissions linked to unconsumed produce, according to a UN report. A…
The World Economic Forum:
Top 10 Food Waste Facts You Need to Know in 2025 – City Harvest 17 Mar 2025 — 1. 1.3 billion tonnes of food are wasted globally each year. The staggering amount of food wasted could feed approximately 3 billion people. cityharvest.org.uk
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Excellent, keep up the research