ShelfLife
How much food does the average household waste?
Households are the biggest source of food waste in the world. Here are the most reliable figures, where they come from, and what actually helps.
Updated November 4, 2026
The global picture
According to the UN Environment Programme's Food Waste Index Report 2024:
- The world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food in 2022, inedible parts included.
- That's 132 kg per person per year, and almost one fifth of all food available to consumers.
- 60% of it happened in households. Food service accounted for 28% and retail for 12%.
- UNEP summed it up as more than 1 billion meals wasted every day.
In the United States
The USDA estimates that food waste represents 30 to 40% of the food supply, and that the average American family of four loses $1,500 a year to food that goes uneaten.
In France
Figures relayed by France's national consumer institute with ADEME put household waste at about 29 kg of edible food per person per year, of which 7 kg is still in its packaging, a loss of around €100 per person.
Why food gets wasted at home
The figures above don't break waste down by cause, but the usual reasons are well known:
- Buying too much: offers, large packs and shopping without a list.
- Forgetting what's there: food pushed to the back of the fridge until it's past saving.
- Misreading dates: throwing away food after a best-before date, when only a use-by date is a safety limit.
- Poor storage: the wrong place or temperature shortens food's life.
- Cooking too much and not using the leftovers.
What helps
| Habit | Read more |
|---|---|
| Plan meals around what you already have | Meal planning to reduce food waste |
| Know which dates matter | Best before vs use by and food after the best-before date |
| Store food in the right place | How to organize your fridge and how to store fruit and vegetables |
| Freeze before it's too late | What freezes well |
| Know how long each food keeps | Food storage times |
Sources
- UN Environment Programme: World squanders over 1 billion meals a day, UN report (Food Waste Index Report 2024)
- USDA: Food loss and waste
- Institut national de la consommation: Comment limiter le gaspillage alimentaire ? avec l’ADEME (in French, November 2024)
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