Total waste generation, by activity (Tonnes) by country
Countries reporting
72
Highest
9.28 billion tonnes
Russian Federation
Lowest
24,400 tonnes
Grenada
Median
14.70 million tonnes
Years covered
24
2000–2023
Data points
998
What the numbers show
Total waste generation, by activity (Tonnes) is currently reported for 72 countries. The highest value is 9.28 billion tonnes in Russian Federation; the lowest is 24,400 tonnes in Grenada.
The median across all reporting countries is 14.70 million tonnes, and the mean is 201.65 million tonnes.
Over the past decade 55 countries rose and 15 fell. The largest increase was in Bosnia and Herzegovina (up 1,685.6%), and the largest decrease in North Macedonia (down 77.5%).
Total waste generation, by activity: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian Federation | 9.28 billion tonnes | 2023 | up 80.1% | rising |
| 2 | Kazakhstan | 1.03 billion tonnes | 2023 | up 168.7% | volatile |
| 3 | Germany | 385.80 million tonnes | 2022 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 4 | France | 343.21 million tonnes | 2022 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 5 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 282.39 million tonnes | 2018 | up 0.1% | falling |
| 6 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 265.56 million tonnes | 2023 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 7 | Curaçao | 257.24 million tonnes | 2015 | up 33.7% | rising |
| 8 | Italy | 189.55 million tonnes | 2022 | up 22.7% | rising |
| 9 | Serbia | 176.88 million tonnes | 2022 | up 221.6% | volatile |
| 10 | Ukraine | 176.18 million tonnes | 2023 | down 60.7% | rising |
| 11 | Poland | 174.95 million tonnes | 2022 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 12 | Sweden | 163.88 million tonnes | 2022 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 13 | Romania | 160.21 million tonnes | 2022 | down 35.8% | falling |
| 14 | Uzbekistan | 149.62 million tonnes | 2023 | up 39.8% | rising |
| 15 | United Arab Emirates | 141.57 million tonnes | 2023 | up 419.8% | volatile |
| 16 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 122.50 million tonnes | 2022 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 17 | Guatemala | 112.94 million tonnes | 2010 | up 38.0% | rising |
| 18 | Finland | 110.83 million tonnes | 2022 | up 20.7% | rising |
| 19 | Spain | 110.10 million tonnes | 2022 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 20 | Türkiye | 109.14 million tonnes | 2022 | up 62.0% | rising |
| 21 | Bulgaria | 97.00 million tonnes | 2022 | down 39.8% | falling |
| 22 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 79.58 million tonnes | 2022 | up 1,685.6% | volatile |
| 23 | Austria | 73.05 million tonnes | 2022 | up 52.0% | rising |
| 24 | Belgium | 61.62 million tonnes | 2022 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 25 | Armenia | 58.79 million tonnes | 2023 | up 18.0% | volatile |
| 26 | Belarus | 50.40 million tonnes | 2023 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 27 | Czechia | 39.19 million tonnes | 2022 | up 69.1% | rising |
| 28 | Greece | 29.52 million tonnes | 2022 | down 59.2% | falling |
| 29 | Hungary | 27.37 million tonnes | 2022 | up 67.8% | flat |
| 30 | Denmark | 23.83 million tonnes | 2022 | up 42.6% | rising |
| 31 | Estonia | 22.38 million tonnes | 2022 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 32 | Colombia | 21.93 million tonnes | 2016 | — | rising |
| 33 | Portugal | 19.71 million tonnes | 2022 | up 47.5% | falling |
| 34 | Kuwait | 18.98 million tonnes | 2023 | up 59.5% | rising |
| 35 | Iraq | 18.81 million tonnes | 2023 | up 47.2% | rising |
| 36 | Ireland | 15.35 million tonnes | 2022 | up 20.7% | falling |
| 37 | Norway | 14.04 million tonnes | 2022 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 38 | Slovakia | 13.35 million tonnes | 2022 | up 58.5% | rising |
| 39 | Kyrgyzstan | 12.65 million tonnes | 2017 | up 24.6% | rising |
| 40 | Slovenia | 11.40 million tonnes | 2022 | up 150.8% | rising |
| 41 | Luxembourg | 9.91 million tonnes | 2022 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 42 | Croatia | 7.09 million tonnes | 2022 | up 96.3% | rising |
| 43 | Singapore | 6.94 million tonnes | 2021 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 44 | Lithuania | 5.67 million tonnes | 2022 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 45 | Ghana | 4.11 million tonnes | 2017 | down 69.3% | rising |
| 46 | Azerbaijan | 4.09 million tonnes | 2023 | up 58.7% | rising |
| 47 | Cyprus | 3.01 million tonnes | 2022 | up 60.3% | rising |
| 48 | United Republic of Tanzania | 2.92 million tonnes | 2023 | up 330.7% | volatile |
| 49 | Malta | 2.66 million tonnes | 2022 | up 74.2% | rising |
| 50 | Latvia | 2.50 million tonnes | 2022 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 51 | Senegal | 2.10 million tonnes | 2007 | up 19.9% | rising |
| 52 | State of Palestine | 2.00 million tonnes | 2021 | up 101.8% | rising |
| 53 | North Macedonia | 1.90 million tonnes | 2022 | down 77.5% | volatile |
| 54 | Honduras | 1.68 million tonnes | 2013 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 55 | Iceland | 1.58 million tonnes | 2022 | up 198.7% | rising |
| 56 | Comoros | 1.38 million tonnes | 2023 | down 13.3% | rising |
| 57 | Montenegro | 1.27 million tonnes | 2022 | up 24.8% | rising |
| 58 | Panama | 791,875 tonnes | 2019 | up 113.9% | rising |
| 59 | Mauritius | 541,135 tonnes | 2023 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 60 | Liechtenstein | 437,890 tonnes | 2022 | down 6.1% | rising |
| 61 | Republic of Moldova | 415,800 tonnes | 2021 | down 77.5% | falling |
| 62 | Suriname | 316,760 tonnes | 2023 | up 48.5% | rising |
| 63 | Monaco | 217,750 tonnes | 2023 | up 369.5% | volatile |
| 64 | Brunei Darussalam | 196,170 tonnes | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 65 | Fiji | 190,387 tonnes | 2023 | up 17.5% | rising |
| 66 | Andorra | 121,310 tonnes | 2023 | up 66.3% | rising |
| 67 | Antigua and Barbuda | 108,860 tonnes | 2021 | down 10.2% | rising |
| 68 | Bermuda | 86,400 tonnes | 2019 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 69 | Saint Lucia | 79,000 tonnes | 2019 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 70 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 29,660 tonnes | 2014 | — | flat |
| 71 | Burundi | 24,420 tonnes | 2019 | up 77.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Grenada | 24,400 tonnes | 2021 | down 5.1% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 22.74 million tonnes
- China, Macao Special Administrative Region 532,340 tonnes