Material flow accounts - balancing items by country
Countries reporting
39
Highest
202,726 Thousand tonnes
Germany
Lowest
-603.18 Thousand tonnes
Iceland
Median
16,242 Thousand tonnes
Years covered
36
1990–2025
Data points
1,008
What the numbers show
Material flow accounts - balancing items is currently reported for 39 countries. The highest value is 202,726 Thousand tonnes in Germany; the lowest is -603.18 Thousand tonnes in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 16,242 Thousand tonnes, and the mean is 40,965 Thousand tonnes.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 336.
Over the past decade 14 countries rose and 25 fell. The largest increase was in Ireland (up 195.7%), and the largest decrease in Iceland (down 123.5%).
Material flow accounts - balancing items: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 202,726 Thousand tonnes | 2024 | down 32.5% | falling |
| 2 | Italy | 160,215 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 19.7% | falling |
| 3 | Poland | 133,577 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 3 | Poland | 133,577 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 5 | Norway | 123,538 Thousand tonnes | 2024 | down 9.7% | flat |
| 6 | France | 110,219 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 28.4% | falling |
| 7 | Türkiye | 99,407 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 119.9% | volatile |
| 8 | Spain | 81,402 Thousand tonnes | 2024 | down 23.9% | falling |
| 9 | Netherlands | 56,130 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 25.3% | falling |
| 9 | Netherlands | 56,130 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 25.3% | falling |
| 11 | Sweden | 46,956 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 12 | Denmark | 43,522 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 13 | Finland | 41,693 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 14 | Czechia | 34,316 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 15 | Belgium | 29,252 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 28.3% | falling |
| 16 | Austria | 28,164 Thousand tonnes | 2024 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 17 | Greece | 23,999 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 110.9% | flat |
| 18 | Hungary | 20,970 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 19 | Switzerland | 20,696 Thousand tonnes | 2024 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 20 | Romania | 16,242 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 55.3% | falling |
| 21 | Slovakia | 15,404 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 21 | Slovakia | 15,404 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 23 | Bulgaria | 12,343 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 76.0% | rising |
| 24 | Lithuania | 11,978 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 94.8% | rising |
| 24 | Lithuania | 11,978 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 94.8% | rising |
| 26 | Portugal | 11,755 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 48.8% | falling |
| 27 | Croatia | 8,880 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 23.1% | falling |
| 27 | Croatia | 8,880 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 23.1% | falling |
| 29 | Ireland | 6,161 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 195.7% | volatile |
| 30 | Slovenia | 5,286 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 30 | Slovenia | 5,286 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 32 | Luxembourg | 4,534 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 7.0% | flat |
| 33 | Latvia | 4,368 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 33 | Latvia | 4,368 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 2.1% | rising |
| 35 | Cyprus | 2,975 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 36 | Malta | 2,908 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | up 105.4% | falling |
| 37 | Estonia | 1,492 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 80.1% | falling |
| 37 | Estonia | 1,492 Thousand tonnes | 2023 | down 80.1% | falling |
| 39 | Iceland | -603.18 Thousand tonnes | 2025 | down 123.5% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 1.13 million Thousand tonnes