Total waste generation by country
Total waste generation, by activity (Tonnes)
Countries reporting
55
Highest
81.27 million tonnes
Japan
Lowest
0 tonnes
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Median
272,374 tonnes
Years covered
23
2000–2022
Data points
686
What the numbers show
Total waste generation is currently reported for 55 countries. The highest value is 81.27 million tonnes in Japan; the lowest is 0 tonnes in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The median across all reporting countries is 272,374 tonnes, and the mean is 5.12 million tonnes.
Over the past decade 33 countries rose and 17 fell. The largest increase was in Greece (up 10,410.3%), and the largest decrease in Finland (down 100.0%).
Total waste generation: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 81.27 million tonnes | 2019 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 2 | Guatemala | 75.60 million tonnes | 2010 | up 314.3% | volatile |
| 3 | Russia | 50.62 million tonnes | 2021 | up 83.7% | rising |
| 4 | Egypt | 22.72 million tonnes | 2015 | down 14.5% | falling |
| 5 | Ghana | 15.83 million tonnes | 2015 | up 96.4% | rising |
| 6 | Ukraine | 6.75 million tonnes | 2019 | up 144.5% | volatile |
| 7 | Spain | 6.04 million tonnes | 2022 | up 9.9% | falling |
| 8 | Netherlands | 5.71 million tonnes | 2022 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 3.13 million tonnes | 2021 | up 2,077.1% | volatile |
| 10 | Sweden | 1.54 million tonnes | 2022 | up 464.3% | volatile |
| 11 | France | 1.35 million tonnes | 2022 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 12 | Greece | 1.05 million tonnes | 2022 | up 10,410.3% | volatile |
| 13 | Germany | 966,384 tonnes | 2022 | up 48.9% | falling |
| 14 | Chile | 892,986 tonnes | 2021 | down 42.8% | falling |
| 15 | Bulgaria | 817,212 tonnes | 2022 | down 9.5% | flat |
| 16 | Belarus | 702,350 tonnes | 2021 | up 75.3% | rising |
| 17 | Croatia | 646,525 tonnes | 2022 | up 760.9% | volatile |
| 18 | Romania | 637,561 tonnes | 2022 | up 35.4% | volatile |
| 19 | Cyprus | 608,239 tonnes | 2022 | up 3,241.4% | volatile |
| 20 | Kuwait | 467,000 tonnes | 2021 | up 227.1% | rising |
| 21 | Slovakia | 459,277 tonnes | 2022 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 22 | Denmark | 389,498 tonnes | 2022 | up 417.8% | volatile |
| 23 | Czechia | 352,752 tonnes | 2022 | up 79.9% | volatile |
| 24 | Italy | 328,210 tonnes | 2022 | down 19.6% | falling |
| 25 | Poland | 293,280 tonnes | 2022 | down 66.8% | volatile |
| 26 | Hungary | 292,641 tonnes | 2022 | down 36.4% | volatile |
| 28 | Lithuania | 289,947 tonnes | 2022 | down 39.8% | falling |
| 29 | Belgium | 272,374 tonnes | 2022 | up 64.6% | volatile |
| 30 | Austria | 189,253 tonnes | 2022 | up 5.7% | volatile |
| 31 | Estonia | 188,724 tonnes | 2022 | up 143.8% | flat |
| 32 | Tanzania | 185,000 tonnes | 2020 | up 392.5% | volatile |
| 33 | Oman | 184,424 tonnes | 2022 | — | rising |
| 34 | Norway | 170,588 tonnes | 2022 | up 13.7% | flat |
| 35 | Portugal | 151,010 tonnes | 2022 | up 138.9% | volatile |
| 36 | Serbia | 88,264 tonnes | 2022 | — | volatile |
| 37 | Slovenia | 64,265 tonnes | 2022 | down 61.0% | falling |
| 38 | Jordan | 45,300 tonnes | 2020 | up 22.4% | rising |
| 39 | Iceland | 39,084 tonnes | 2020 | down 45.8% | falling |
| 40 | Azerbaijan | 29,800 tonnes | 2021 | up 223.9% | volatile |
| 41 | Latvia | 27,604 tonnes | 2022 | up 897.6% | volatile |
| 42 | Moldova | 23,600 tonnes | 2021 | down 87.3% | volatile |
| 43 | Montenegro | 12,959 tonnes | 2022 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 44 | Mauritius | 7,576 tonnes | 2017 | up 123.7% | rising |
| 46 | Armenia | 5,680 tonnes | 2021 | up 99.3% | volatile |
| 47 | Suriname | 5,480 tonnes | 2021 | down 62.2% | volatile |
| 48 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4,300 tonnes | 2015 | up 49.8% | flat |
| 49 | Anguilla | 4,001 tonnes | 2008 | up 515.6% | volatile |
| 51 | Andorra | 1,260 tonnes | 2021 | up 41.4% | volatile |
| 52 | Grenada | 1,000 tonnes | 2021 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 53 | North Macedonia | 462 tonnes | 2022 | up 1,908.7% | volatile |
| 54 | Kyrgyzstan | 2.15 tonnes | 2017 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 56 | Monaco | 0 tonnes | 2021 | — | flat |
| 56 | Finland | 0 tonnes | 2022 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 56 | Turkey | 0 tonnes | 2022 | — | flat |
| 56 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 tonnes | 2022 | — | flat |
About this data
Total waste generation, by activity (Tonnes)