Food waste in Spain has fallen considerably over the past five years, but the latest figures show there is still plenty sitting uneaten at the bottom of the fridge or heading for the bin.
Spain wasted 1.13 billion kilos or litres of food and drink during 2025, according to the government’s latest annual food waste report.
That was 19.2% less than in 2020, meaning Spain avoided wasting around 269 million kilos or litres compared with five years earlier.
However, progress stalled slightly last year. Total waste actually increased by 0.4% compared with 2024.
How much food do we waste?
On average, each person in Spain wasted 24.3 kilos or litres during 2025. That figure fell by just 0.3% compared with the previous year.
Homes remain by far the biggest source of measured food waste.
Households accounted for 1.10 billion kilos or litres, representing 97.5% of the total recorded in the report.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are among the foods regularly thrown away unused. Prepared meals and other dishes also contribute when people cook food but do not finish it.
The government is encouraging households to plan shopping and meals more carefully, consider portion sizes and make better use of food already at home.
It is also reminding consumers that a use-by date and a best-before date do not mean the same thing. A use-by date relates to food safety, while a best-before date concerns quality.
What happens when we eat out?
Food wasted away from home accounts for a much smaller share of the total.
During 2025, people wasted 28.12 million kilos or litres outside the home, equivalent to 2.5% of the national figure. That amount has fallen by 20.4% since 2020.
The report found that 41.5% of people said they wasted food or drink while away from home, the lowest proportion for four years.
People aged between 25 and 34 recorded the highest rate of food waste outside the home. Under-25s had the highest rate for wasted drinks, while over-50s recorded the lowest levels.
Spain launches new food waste campaign
Spain introduced its Law on the Prevention of Food Loss and Waste in 2025, with measures designed to reduce waste throughout the food chain.
Now the government is preparing another push aimed directly at households.
Its new Aquí no se Tira Nada (Nothing Gets Thrown Away Here) campaign will run nationally during the first half of October.
The campaign will focus on everyday habits, including planning what to buy, storing food correctly and finding ways to use what is already in the kitchen.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Luis Planas summed up the financial argument rather neatly: the most expensive food is the food that ends up in the bin.
For Costa Blanca households, the figures provide a useful reminder that Spain has made progress since 2020, but with more than one billion kilos or litres still wasted at home each year, there is quite a bit left on the plate.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Spain wasted 1.13 billion kilos or litres of food and drink in 2025.
- That was 19.2% less than in 2020.
- Total food waste nevertheless increased by 0.4% compared with 2024.
- The average resident wasted 24.3 kilos or litres during the year.
- Households accounted for 97.5% of measured food waste.
- Waste outside the home has fallen by 20.4% since 2020.
- Spain introduced its food waste prevention law in 2025.
- The Aquí no se Tira Nada campaign will run during the first half of October.
