9 June 2026

Turkish households discard 10.8 million tonnes of food a year

According to TÜİK figures shared by the ministry, roughly half of Türkiye's waste is food waste, and 70-80% of it comes from households; 2024 estimates put household food waste at 10.8 million tonnes a year (about 124 kg per person). The main causes are spoilage (72.3%), expired shelf life (12.2%) and buying more than needed (8%). The most wasted items are fresh fruit and vegetables (40.1%), bread (32%) and dairy products (14.3%). While 673 million people worldwide face hunger, cutting global food loss and waste by just a quarter could save enough food for them.