Food waste: 132 kg per inhabitant in the EU in 2022

In 2022, around 132 kilogrammes (kg) of food per inhabitant were wasted in the EU. In total, the EU generated 59.2 million tonnes of food waste, which includes edible and inedible parts.

Household waste accounted for 54% of all food waste, the equivalent of 72 kg per inhabitant. The remaining 46% was waste generated upwards in the food supply chain: 19% by the manufacture of food products and beverages (25 kg per inhabitant), 11% by restaurants and food services (15 kg per inhabitant), 8% in the retail and other distribution of food (11 kg per inhabitant), and 8% in the primary production (10 kg per inhabitant).

Source dataset: env_wasfw

This information is based on the food waste reporting obligation established in the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) by sector of activity according to the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE rev. 2) and by households.

This article highlights the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, marked on 29 September.