Cyprus recorded the highest amount of food waste per capita among EU member states for which data were available in 2024.
More specifically, according to data published by Eurostat on Tuesday, Cyprus generated 295 kg of food waste per person, compared with an EU average of 129 kg.
According to the data, households in Cyprus generated 78 kg of food waste per capita, compared with 69 kg in the EU. In restaurants and food services, the corresponding amount reached 34 kg in Cyprus, compared with 15 kg in the EU.
Meanwhile, the manufacture of food products and beverages in Cyprus generated 73 kg of food waste per capita, compared with 25 kg in the EU. In retail and other food distribution activities, food waste amounted to 62 kg per capita in Cyprus, compared with 10 kg in the EU, while the corresponding figures for primary production were 48 kg and 10 kg, respectively.
Across the EU, according to Eurostat, a total of 57.9 million tonnes of food waste was generated in 2024, an increase of 0.7% compared with 2023, when 57.5 million tonnes was generated. The figures include both edible and inedible parts of food.