Since 2016, the Hungarian National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) has been monitoring the amount of food waste generated in households. According to the latest survey conducted in 2025, the positive trend continues: avoidable food waste has decreased by 37.2% over the past nine years. The main drivers of household food waste remain unchanged: over-purchasing, overcooking, and forgotten food items.
The survey, carried out at the end of 2025, involved 151 households, representing the food waste habits of more than 400 consumers. Participants kept a detailed waste diary for one week, recording the quantity, type, treatment method, and reason for disposal of all discarded food items.
Following the European Union’s methodology, the study covered both solid and liquid food waste. The results show that an average Hungarian citizen generates 60.7 kilograms of food waste at home each year, corresponding to nearly 576,000 tonnes nationwide. More than half of this amount – 56.5% (34.3 kg per capita per year) – consists of unavoidable food waste, such as bones, eggshells, and coffee grounds.
However, 34.3% of total food waste (20.8 kg per capita per year) is considered avoidable and therefore represents actual food waste. At the national level, Hungarian households generate nearly 200,000 tonnes of avoidable food waste annually. While this remains a substantial amount, the results represent significant progress compared to 2016: over the past nine years, total household food waste has decreased by 10.8%, while avoidable food waste has fallen by more than one-third.
Home made meals, fresh fruit and vegetables, and bakery products continue to be the most commonly discarded food categories. Together, these three groups account for more than three-quarters of all avoidable food waste. Encouragingly, waste from home made meals has continued to decline: in 2025, households discarded an average of 7.7 kilograms per person, approximately 1 kilogram less than in 2024.
The research also confirmed that the main causes of food waste have remained largely unchanged over the years. Most food is discarded because it is forgotten, too much is purchased, or larger quantities are prepared than needed.
The findings indicate that food waste generation in Hungarian households remains below the European Union average (latest available figure for 2023: 69 kg per capita per year). Nevertheless, considerable efforts will still be required to achieve further reductions. This is particularly important in light of the European Union’s target, published last year, which calls for a reduction of at least 30% in food waste generated by households and the food service sector by 2030, compared to the average levels recorded between 2021 and 2023.
In 2026, the Wasteless programme celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues to support consumers through awareness-raising campaigns, educational materials, and practical advice aimed at preventing food waste and helping households make better use of the food they purchase.
Household food waste measurement study in 2025 (Hungarian version is available):