Total waste generation in Germany

Germany: Total waste generation was 966,384 tonnes in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
966,384 tonnes
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
13th
of 59 countries
All-time high
1.52 million tonnes
in 2006
All-time low
256,272 tonnes
in 2010
Years of data
10
2004–2022

Total waste generation in Germany, 2004–2022

500.0k1.0M1.5M2004201320222004: 1.2M tonnes2006: 1.5M tonnes2008: 1.4M tonnes2010: 256.3k tonnes2012: 648.9k tonnes2014: 438.8k tonnes2016: 1.1M tonnes2018: 982.1k tonnes2020: 1.0M tonnes2022: 966.4k tonnes

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

Analysis

In 2022, total waste generation in Germany stood at 966,384 tonnes.

The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and up 48.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total waste generation in Germany peaked at 1.52 million tonnes in 2006 and was at its lowest, 256,272 tonnes, in 2010.

That places Germany 13th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.36 million tonnes 1.23 million tonnes 1.52 million tonnes 3
2010s 690,441 tonnes 256,272 tonnes 1.13 million tonnes 5
2020s 985,357 tonnes 966,384 tonnes 1.00 million tonnes 2

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 10 Sweden 1.54 million tonnes compare
  2. 11 France 1.35 million tonnes compare
  3. 12 Greece 1.05 million tonnes compare
  4. 14 Chile 892,986 tonnes compare
  5. 15 Bulgaria 817,212 tonnes compare
  6. 16 Belarus 702,350 tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 59 places →

More environment data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is total waste generation in Germany?
Total waste generation in Germany was 966,384 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 1.52 million tonnes in 2006.
What is the lowest total waste generation recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 256,272 tonnes in 2010.
How does Germany rank for total waste generation?
Germany ranks 13th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
Is total waste generation rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 48.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany 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)