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Underlying Data — 28-Country Dataset (2021)
UNEP · World Bank · GFDPA
Each row represents one country's 2021 snapshot. Food waste is split into three sectors —
household, foodservice (restaurants & catering), and retail — measured in kilograms per capita per year.
Policy score (5–18) aggregates six regulatory dimensions from the Global Food Donation Policy Atlas.
The inline bars give a quick visual of each sector's share.
| # | Country | Income Group | Region | GDP/cap | Total (kg/cap) | Household | Foodservice | Retail | Policy /18 | Breakdown |
|---|
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Food Waste Composition by Country — Stacked Horizontal Bar
UNEP Food Waste Index 2024
Countries sorted by total food waste per capita (highest → lowest). Each bar stacks the three
sectors: household, foodservice,
and retail. Nigeria's household waste alone (189 kg) exceeds the total
for 20 of the 28 countries — driven by poor cold-chain infrastructure. High-income nations show a wider
foodservice/retail slice, reflecting dining-out culture and supply chain inefficiencies.
Food Waste kg per Capita by Sector (2021)
Hover any bar for exact values · All 28 countries
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Policy Strength vs. Food Waste — Bubble Scatter Chart
UNEP · GFDPA · World Bank
Each bubble is one country. X-axis: policy score (stronger = right).
Y-axis: total food waste kg/cap. Bubble size ∝ GDP per capita.
Color: income group. The scatter reveals a counterintuitive pattern — France holds the
maximum policy score (18/18) yet wastes 120 kg/cap, while South Africa scores just 8 but wastes only
54 kg. Infrastructure, culture, and supply chains matter as much as regulation.
Policy Score vs. Food Waste per Capita (2021)
Bubble area ∝ GDP per capita · Color = income group · Hover for country details
Peak Waste
kg / cap
Nigeria — highest in the dataset, nearly 4× the global median. 94% occurs at the household level due to absent cold-chain infrastructure.
Lowest Waste
kg / cap
South Africa — the most efficient country in the dataset despite being an upper-middle income economy, proving GDP alone doesn't determine waste.
Top Policy Score
/ 18 pts
France — the only country rated "Strong" across all 6 policy dimensions. Yet still wastes 120 kg/cap, suggesting policy lag in behavioral change.
Household Share
%
Average share of food waste at the household level globally — the dominant sector across all 28 countries and all income groups.