Municipal waste generated (Tonnes) by country
Countries reporting
80
Highest
265.22 million
United States
Lowest
16,740
Niger
Median
4.62 million
Years covered
25
2000–2024
Data points
1,488
What the numbers show
Municipal waste generated (Tonnes) is currently reported for 80 countries. The highest value is 265.22 million in United States; the lowest is 16,740 in Niger.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.62 million, and the mean is 13.09 million.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 15,844.
Over the past decade 63 countries rose and 17 fell. The largest increase was in Kenya (up 312.0%), and the largest decrease in Barbados (down 24.9%).
Municipal waste generated: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 265.22 million | 2018 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 2 | India | 62.17 million | 2021 | up 43.0% | rising |
| 3 | Germany | 51.02 million | 2023 | up 2.9% | flat |
| 4 | Mexico | 42.10 million | 2012 | up 30.9% | rising |
| 5 | Japan | 40.95 million | 2021 | down 9.9% | falling |
| 6 | France | 36.03 million | 2023 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 7 | Türkiye | 32.46 million | 2023 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 7 | Turkey | 32.46 million | 2023 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 9 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 29.89 million | 2023 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 9 | United Kingdom | 29.89 million | 2023 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 11 | Italy | 28.84 million | 2023 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 12 | Thailand | 26.95 million | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 13 | South Korea | 23.04 million | 2022 | up 28.8% | rising |
| 13 | Republic of Korea | 23.04 million | 2022 | up 28.8% | rising |
| 15 | Spain | 22.50 million | 2023 | up 6.2% | falling |
| 16 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 21.65 million | 2023 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 17 | Philippines | 21.02 million | 2019 | up 19.8% | rising |
| 18 | Argentina | 19.33 million | 2022 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 19 | Malaysia | 13.94 million | 2023 | up 8.1% | rising |
| 20 | Australia | 13.48 million | 2023 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 21 | Poland | 13.45 million | 2023 | up 19.1% | rising |
| 22 | Colombia | 12.08 million | 2018 | up 32.0% | rising |
| 23 | Algeria | 11.07 million | 2021 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 24 | Uganda | 9.15 million | 2023 | up 35.8% | rising |
| 25 | Chile | 8.65 million | 2023 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 26 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 8.36 million | 2023 | down 5.4% | falling |
| 27 | Peru | 8.21 million | 2021 | up 19.0% | rising |
| 28 | Belgium | 8.10 million | 2023 | up 66.5% | rising |
| 29 | Uzbekistan | 7.57 million | 2021 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 30 | Austria | 7.14 million | 2023 | up 45.6% | rising |
| 31 | United Republic of Tanzania | 6.69 million | 2023 | up 187.9% | volatile |
| 32 | Israel | 6.26 million | 2023 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 33 | Switzerland | 6.03 million | 2023 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 34 | Czechia | 5.84 million | 2023 | up 80.9% | rising |
| 35 | Romania | 5.82 million | 2023 | up 14.8% | falling |
| 36 | Ecuador | 5.46 million | 2022 | up 37.6% | rising |
| 37 | Greece | 5.44 million | 2023 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 38 | Portugal | 5.34 million | 2023 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 39 | Ghana | 5.03 million | 2017 | up 34.3% | rising |
| 40 | United Arab Emirates | 4.73 million | 2023 | down 19.8% | falling |
| 41 | Denmark | 4.51 million | 2023 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 42 | Sweden | 4.13 million | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 43 | Hungary | 4.12 million | 2023 | up 10.1% | falling |
| 44 | Norway | 4.00 million | 2023 | up 58.7% | rising |
| 45 | Qatar | 3.76 million | 2023 | up 37.4% | rising |
| 46 | New Zealand | 3.51 million | 2023 | up 30.7% | rising |
| 47 | Ireland | 3.21 million | 2020 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 48 | Bulgaria | 3.16 million | 2023 | up 0.7% | falling |
| 49 | Serbia | 3.10 million | 2023 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 50 | Kenya | 3.02 million | 2023 | up 312.0% | rising |
| 51 | Finland | 2.61 million | 2023 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 52 | Slovakia | 2.56 million | 2023 | up 55.7% | rising |
| 53 | Oman | 2.00 million | 2024 | up 97.2% | rising |
| 54 | Croatia | 1.83 million | 2023 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 55 | Costa Rica | 1.71 million | 2023 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 56 | Lithuania | 1.28 million | 2023 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 57 | El Salvador | 1.24 million | 2019 | up 21.5% | rising |
| 58 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.19 million | 2023 | down 0.5% | falling |
| 59 | Slovenia | 1.10 million | 2023 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 60 | Jamaica | 1.05 million | 2022 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 61 | North Macedonia | 878,000 | 2023 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 62 | Latvia | 872,000 | 2022 | up 32.5% | rising |
| 63 | Albania | 844,000 | 2023 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 64 | Trinidad and Tobago | 736,455 | 2023 | down 7.6% | rising |
| 65 | Cyprus | 625,000 | 2023 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 66 | Estonia | 512,000 | 2023 | up 32.6% | falling |
| 67 | Luxembourg | 478,000 | 2023 | up 42.7% | rising |
| 68 | Burkina Faso | 457,771 | 2021 | up 42.0% | rising |
| 69 | Armenia | 433,300 | 2023 | down 16.3% | rising |
| 70 | Myanmar | 378,873 | 2021 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 71 | Montenegro | 353,000 | 2023 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 72 | Malta | 333,000 | 2023 | up 29.6% | rising |
| 73 | Barbados | 261,765 | 2021 | down 24.9% | falling |
| 74 | Iceland | 224,000 | 2023 | up 34.1% | rising |
| 75 | Brunei Darussalam | 196,170 | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 75 | Brunei | 196,170 | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 77 | Fiji | 171,229 | 2023 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 78 | Liechtenstein | 32,638 | 2023 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 79 | Dominica | 21,000 | 2021 | up 12.3% | rising |
| 80 | Niger | 16,740 | 2019 | up 31.4% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- United States of America 265.22 million
- China, Macao Special Administrative Region 532,340