Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) in United States

United States: Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) was 2.61 % in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.61 %
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
165th
of 222 countries
All-time high
4.41 %
in 1991
All-time low
2.4 %
in 2014
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) in United States, 1990–2023

012341990200620231990: 4.4 %1991: 4.4 %1992: 4.3 %1993: 4.2 %1994: 4.1 %1995: 3.9 %1996: 3.7 %1997: 3.5 %1998: 3.3 %1999: 3.1 %2000: 3 %2001: 2.6 %2002: 2.5 %2003: 2.5 %2004: 2.4 %2005: 2.5 %2006: 2.6 %2007: 2.6 %2008: 2.8 %2009: 2.8 %2010: 2.5 %2011: 2.4 %2012: 2.4 %2013: 2.4 %2014: 2.4 %2015: 2.5 %2016: 2.5 %2017: 2.6 %2018: 2.5 %2019: 2.5 %2020: 2.8 %2021: 2.5 %2022: 2.5 %2023: 2.6 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, waste — emissions share (co2eq) in United States stood at 2.61 %.

That represents a change of up 3.2% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, waste — emissions share (co2eq) in United States peaked at 4.41 % in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.4 %, in 2014.

That places United States 165th out of 222 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) in United States, year by year

Annual values for Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) (AR5) in United States, 1990 to 2023.
Year % Change
1990 4.38 %
1991 4.41 % +0.7%
1992 4.33 % -1.8%
1993 4.21 % -2.8%
1994 4.12 % -2.1%
1995 3.92 % -4.9%
1996 3.73 % -4.8%
1997 3.46 % -7.2%
1998 3.29 % -4.9%
1999 3.13 % -4.9%
2000 2.97 % -5.1%
2001 2.61 % -12.1%
2002 2.46 % -5.7%
2003 2.52 % +2.4%
2004 2.42 % -4.0%
2005 2.53 % +4.5%
2006 2.62 % +3.6%
2007 2.65 % +1.1%
2008 2.84 % +7.2%
2009 2.8 % -1.4%
2010 2.46 % -12.1%
2011 2.42 % -1.6%
2012 2.43 % +0.4%
2013 2.41 % -0.8%
2014 2.4 % -0.4%
2015 2.5 % +4.2%
2016 2.52 % +0.8%
2017 2.56 % +1.6%
2018 2.5 % -2.3%
2019 2.54 % +1.6%
2020 2.82 % +11.0%
2021 2.54 % -9.9%
2022 2.53 % -0.4%
2023 2.61 % +3.2%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 2.61 % is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.1 %, 64% of the median. (61 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.9 % 3.13 % 4.41 % 10
2000s 2.64 % 2.42 % 2.97 % 10
2010s 2.47 % 2.4 % 2.56 % 10
2020s 2.62 % 2.53 % 2.82 % 4

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 162 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2.67 % compare
  2. 162 United Kingdom 2.67 % compare
  3. 164 Argentina 2.62 % compare
  4. 166 Madagascar 2.6 % compare
  5. 167 Namibia 2.51 % compare
  6. 168 Papua New Guinea 2.48 % compare

See the full ranking of 254 places →

More climate change data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is waste — emissions share (co2eq) in United States?
Waste — emissions share (co2eq) in United States was 2.61 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest waste — emissions share (co2eq) recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 4.41 % in 1991.
What is the lowest waste — emissions share (co2eq) recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4 % in 2014.
How does United States rank for waste — emissions share (co2eq)?
United States ranks 165th out of 222 countries with data for 2023.
Is waste — emissions share (co2eq) rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) (AR5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/waste-emissions-share-co2eq-ar5/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Waste — Emissions Share (CO2eq) (AR5)
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
254 places, 8,412 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions indicators disseminates indicators on sectoral shares of total national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as three indicators of emissions intensity: per capita emissions; emissions per value of agricultural production; and emissions per area of agricultural land.