← Environment Air Quality

Waste Management

% of municipal solid waste that is properly collected, treated, or safely disposed (World Bank/UNEP estimates). Waste management directly affects urban livability: open dumping and burning creates air pollution (toxic fumes, black carbon), soil and groundwater contamination, and facilitates disease vectors (rats, mosquitoes). High performers: Switzerland (95%), Denmark (95%), Germany (90%), Sweden (95%), Singapore (92%), Netherlands (92%), Liechtenstein (92%) — countries with extensive composting, recycling, and waste-to-energy infrastructure. Low performers: South Sudan (10%), Chad (12%), Somalia (12%), Niger (12%), Haiti (18%), Eritrea (18%) — where the majority of waste is openly dumped or burned. Visible waste levels on streets and in natural environments significantly affect quality of life for long-term residents.

#↑ Country↕ Raw Value↕ Score↕
1 Finland95 95 94
1 Denmark95 95 94
1 Sweden95 95 94
1 Norway95 95 94
1 Switzerland95 95 94
1 Iceland95 95 94
7 Luxembourg92 92 91
7 Netherlands92 92 91
7 Singapore92 92 91
7 Liechtenstein92 92 91
11 Ireland90 90 89
11 Germany90 90 89
11 Canada90 90 89
11 Faroe Islands90 90 89
11 Monaco90 90 89
11 Austria90 90 89
11 New Zealand90 90 89
18 Australia88 88 87
18 England88 88 87
18 Wales88 88 87
18 Northern Ireland88 88 87
18 Scotland88 88 87
18 Estonia88 88 87
18 Belgium88 88 87
18 France88 88 87
18 San Marino88 88 87
18 Slovenia88 88 87
18 Japan88 88 87
29 Latvia85 85 84
29 Lithuania85 85 84
29 United States85 85 84
32 Andorra82 82 81
32 Spain82 82 81
32 Gibraltar82 82 81
32 Portugal82 82 81
32 Italy82 82 81
37 Malta80 80 79
37 Bermuda80 80 79
37 Saint Pierre and Miquelon80 80 79
37 Korea Republic80 80 79
37 Israel80 80 79
42 Czech Republic78 78 77
42 Poland78 78 77
42 Hong Kong78 78 77
42 Macau78 78 77
42 Slovakia78 78 77
42 Croatia78 78 77
48 Cayman Islands75 75 75
48 Barbados75 75 75
48 Chinese Taipei75 75 75
51 Uruguay72 72 72
51 Bahamas72 72 72
51 Turks and Caicos Islands72 72 72
51 Cyprus72 72 72
51 Puerto Rico72 72 72
51 Costa Rica72 72 72
51 Greece72 72 72
58 Hungary70 70 70
58 Anguilla70 70 70
58 U.S. Virgin Islands70 70 70
58 British Virgin Islands70 70 70
58 Antigua and Barbuda70 70 70
58 Saint Kitts and Nevis70 70 70
58 Guam70 70 70
58 New Caledonia70 70 70
58 Chile70 70 70
67 Aruba68 68 68
67 Curacao68 68 68
67 Réunion68 68 68
67 Sint Maarten68 68 68
67 Grenada68 68 68
67 Niue68 68 68
67 Saint Lucia68 68 68
67 Montserrat68 68 68
67 Northern Mariana Islands68 68 68
67 Dominica68 68 68
67 Martinique68 68 68
67 Guadeloupe68 68 68
79 Belarus65 65 65
79 French Guiana65 65 65
79 Mauritius65 65 65
79 Qatar65 65 65
79 Brunei65 65 65
79 United Arab Emirates65 65 65
79 Bulgaria65 65 65
79 Tahiti65 65 65
79 Palau65 65 65
79 Cook Islands65 65 65
79 Montenegro65 65 65
79 Saint-Martin65 65 65
79 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines65 65 65
92 Seychelles62 62 62
92 Tunisia62 62 62
92 Argentina62 62 62
92 Panama62 62 62
96 Kuwait60 60 60
96 Russia60 60 60
96 Oman60 60 60
96 Trinidad and Tobago60 60 60
96 Romania60 60 60
96 American Samoa60 60 60
96 Georgia60 60 60
103 Maldives58 58 58
103 Bahrain58 58 58
103 Saudi Arabia58 58 58
103 Belize58 58 58
103 Cuba58 58 58
103 Morocco58 58 58
103 Serbia58 58 58
103 Jamaica58 58 58
103 Albania58 58 58
103 Turkey58 58 58
103 Bhutan58 58 58
114 Ukraine56 56 56
114 Bosnia and Herzegovina56 56 56
116 Brazil55 55 55
116 South Africa55 55 55
116 Malaysia55 55 55
116 Jordan55 55 55
116 Algeria55 55 55
116 Mexico55 55 55
116 North Macedonia55 55 55
116 Colombia55 55 55
116 Armenia55 55 55
116 Ecuador55 55 55
126 Suriname52 52 52
126 Guyana52 52 52
126 Egypt52 52 52
126 Nauru52 52 52
126 China52 52 52
126 Samoa52 52 52
126 Wallis and Futuna52 52 52
126 Dominican Republic52 52 52
126 Fiji52 52 52
126 Iran52 52 52
136 Paraguay50 50 50
136 Cape Verde50 50 50
136 Peru50 50 50
136 Tonga50 50 50
140 Kosovo48 48 48
140 Namibia48 48 48
140 Sri Lanka48 48 48
140 Tuvalu48 48 48
140 Marshall Islands48 48 48
140 Moldova48 48 48
140 Azerbaijan48 48 48
140 Lebanon48 48 48
140 El Salvador48 48 48
140 Vanuatu48 48 48
150 Honduras47 47 47
151 Thailand46 46 46
151 Micronesia46 46 46
151 Nicaragua46 46 46
154 Kazakhstan45 45 45
155 Botswana42 42 42
155 Libya42 42 42
155 Rwanda42 42 42
155 Kiribati42 42 42
155 Guatemala42 42 42
160 Swaziland40 40 40
160 Vietnam40 40 40
160 Palestine40 40 40
160 Kyrgyzstan40 40 40
164 Gabon38 38 38
164 Uzbekistan38 38 38
164 São Tomé and Príncipe38 38 38
164 Mongolia38 38 38
164 Bolivia38 38 38
164 Mayotte38 38 38
164 Philippines38 38 38
171 Indonesia36 36 36
172 Lesotho35 35 35
172 Zanzibar35 35 35
172 Iraq35 35 35
172 Turkmenistan35 35 35
172 Djibouti35 35 35
172 Solomon Islands35 35 35
178 Ghana32 32 32
178 Western Sahara32 32 32
178 Kenya32 32 32
178 India32 32 32
178 Comoros32 32 32
178 Tajikistan32 32 32
184 Syria28 28 28
184 Senegal28 28 28
184 Ivory Coast28 28 28
184 Cambodia28 28 28
184 Zimbabwe28 28 28
184 Zambia28 28 28
184 Bangladesh28 28 28
184 Venezuela28 28 28
184 Nepal28 28 28
193 Laos26 26 26
193 Angola25 25 26
193 Cameroon25 25 26
193 Papua New Guinea25 25 26
197 Gambia22 22 23
197 Nigeria22 22 23
197 Benin22 22 23
197 Togo22 22 23
197 Congo22 22 23
197 Equatorial Guinea22 22 23
197 Korea DPR22 22 23
197 Tanzania22 22 23
197 Myanmar22 22 23
197 Pakistan22 22 23
197 Timor-Leste22 22 23
208 Liberia20 20 21
208 Guinea-Bissau20 20 21
208 Uganda20 20 21
208 Burundi20 20 21
208 Mozambique20 20 21
208 Malawi20 20 21
214 Burkina Faso18 18 19
214 Mauritania18 18 19
214 Sierra Leone18 18 19
214 Guinea18 18 19
214 Congo DR18 18 19
214 Eritrea18 18 19
214 Haiti18 18 19
221 Madagascar15 15 16
221 Mali15 15 16
221 Central African Republic15 15 16
221 Sudan15 15 16
221 Ethiopia15 15 16
226 Yemen12 12 13
226 Niger12 12 13
226 Chad12 12 13
226 Somalia12 12 13
230 South Sudan10 10 11
231 Afghanistan8 8 9