Total waste generation in Belgium

Belgium: Total waste generation was 272,374 tonnes in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
272,374 tonnes
Change on year
down 34.7%
World rank
29th
of 59 countries
All-time high
1.19 million tonnes
in 2004
All-time low
165,463 tonnes
in 2012
Years of data
10
2004–2022

Total waste generation in Belgium, 2004–2022

250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M2004201320222004: 1.2M tonnes2006: 361.8k tonnes2008: 287.7k tonnes2010: 225.6k tonnes2012: 165.5k tonnes2014: 311.8k tonnes2016: 269.2k tonnes2018: 362.5k tonnes2020: 417.3k tonnes2022: 272.4k tonnes

Source: United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.

Analysis

Belgium recorded 272,374 tonnes for total waste generation in 2022.

That represents a change of down 34.7% on the previous year and up 64.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total waste generation in Belgium peaked at 1.19 million tonnes in 2004 and was at its lowest, 165,463 tonnes, in 2012.

That places Belgium 29th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 612,044 tonnes 287,656 tonnes 1.19 million tonnes 3
2010s 266,924 tonnes 165,463 tonnes 362,508 tonnes 5
2020s 344,838 tonnes 272,374 tonnes 417,301 tonnes 2

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 26 Hungary 292,641 tonnes compare
  2. 28 Lithuania 289,947 tonnes compare
  3. 30 Austria 189,253 tonnes compare
  4. 31 Estonia 188,724 tonnes compare
  5. 32 Tanzania 185,000 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 59 places →

More environment data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is total waste generation in Belgium?
Total waste generation in Belgium was 272,374 tonnes in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total waste generation recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 1.19 million tonnes in 2004.
What is the lowest total waste generation recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 165,463 tonnes in 2012.
How does Belgium rank for total waste generation?
Belgium ranks 29th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
Is total waste generation rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 64.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total waste generation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total waste generation
Unit
tonnes
Source
United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
59 places, 686 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Total waste generation, by activity (Tonnes)