Factsheets

The U.S. population is projected to grow from 343M in 2026 to 364M by 2060.¹ One way to measure U.S. environmental impact is by estimating how many Earths would be needed if everyone lived like the average American; it would take five Earths to sustain that level of consumption globally.² Without major shifts in consumption, growing pressure on finite natural resources will accelerate environmental degradation. See other CSS Factsheets that expand on the topics below.

Food

• From 1978 to 2018, average daily calorie consumption in the U.S. rose from 1,807 to 2,093.³ Per capita fat consumption increased 66%3 from 1970 to 2010,⁴ while milk consumption has decreased 51% to 10.6 gal/yr from 1970.⁵
• Americans consume about 360 calories of added sugars and sweeteners per day.⁴ The American Heart Association recommends no more than 100–150 calories of added sugars daily for an average adult.⁶
• In 2023, the average American consumed 43 gal of soft drinks, a 300% increase since 1947.⁷
• Diets in the top 20% for carbon footprint emit 8 times the GHG of those in the bottom 20%.⁸
• 41.9% of U.S. adults and 19.7% of children (ages 2–19) are obese (BMI > 30).⁹
• 30-40% of food in the U.S. is wasted—making it the most commonly landfilled and incinerated material.¹⁰ The average American wastes 50% more food than in 1970.¹¹
• Food waste accounts for 22% of municipal solid waste¹² and costs $450/yr per person.¹¹ See U.S. Food System Factsheet.

Water

• In 2015, U.S. water withdrhttps://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/food/us-food-system-factsheetawals totaled 322B gal/day, down 9% from 2010.¹³ The largest uses were thermoelectric power (41%), irrigation (37%), and public supply (12%).¹³
• Western states used 48% more water per person than eastern states in 2015—primarily due to crop irrigation. Over 50% of water withdrawals occur in just 12 states, California alone accounts for 9%.¹³
• Americans each use 82 gal of water daily for indoor and outdoor use.¹⁴ With efficient fixtures and no leaks, it can drop by 20%.¹⁴ See U.S. Water Supply and Distribution Factsheet.

Material Use and Waste Management

• In 2022, U.S. per capita material use (including fuels) was 23.5 t, 33% higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average.¹⁶
• In 1900, U.S. material use was under 2 t/person. It peaked in 2006 at over 13 t/person (excluding fuels).^17,18 See U.S. Material Use Factsheet.
• In 2018, the average American generated 4.9 lb of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily, only 1.6 lb were recycled or composted.¹² MSW daily generation was 2.4 lb/person in Sweden, 3.6 in Germany, and 2.6 in the U.K.¹⁹
• In 2018, 32.1% of U.S. MSW was recycled or composted, diverting 94 Mt from landfills—twice as much as in 1990.¹² See U.S. MSW Factsheet.
• Only 53% of Americans are automatically enrolled in curbside recycling programs.²⁰ In 2016, 82% of cities with curbside recycling used single-stream collection, where materials such as glass and paper are separated and sorted at the collection facility.²¹

Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

• In 2024, U.S. GHG emissions were 17.3 t CO₂e/person.²³ Electricity generation accounts for 25% of the U.S. total.²⁴
• From 1990–2019, emissions increased by 0.8%. In 2020, they fell by 9% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then rose 6% in 2021—but remained below 1990 levels.²⁴
• In 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that human activities—principally through GHG emissions—have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperatures reaching 1.1 °C above pre-industrial levels in 2011 to 2020.²⁵
• Individuals can immediately reduce personal GHG emissions by using energy-efficient products and low-emission transportation.

Residential and Commercial Buildings

• From the 1970s to the 2010s, U.S. houses became larger with fewer occupants; House size increased 21.4%²⁶ while occupants per house decreased 14%.²⁷ Living space per person rose 41%.^26,27 See Residential Buildings Factsheet.
• Significant energy savings are possible by improving insulation, upgrading to efficient appliances, and using energy-saving lighting in both residential and commercial buildings. 
• Average site energy intensity in commercial buildings fell by 19%, from 115,000 Btu/ft² in 1979²⁸ to 94,600 Btu/ft² in 2025.²⁹ See Commercial Buildings Factsheet.
• Developed land in the U.S. increased 61% from 1982 to 2017, covering 6% of U.S. land area by 2017.³⁰

Transportation

• In 2024, there were 298M vehicles in the U.S. and 240M licensed drivers.³¹
• Drivers traveled 3.3T vehicle-miles—more than double the amount traveled in 1980.³¹ This is equivalent to 6.9M round-trips to the moon.³²
• Compared to 1981 models, the average 2024 vehicle has 36% more mass and 153% more horsepower.³³ Acceleration (0-60 mph time) is 45% faster than 1978.³³
• In 2009, fuel economy surpassed 1988 levels after years of decline.³⁴
• Average vehicle occupancy is 1.5 people for a passenger car, 7.5 for a transit bus, and 26.1 for a train.³⁵
• In 2022, congestion caused an additional 8.5B hours of travel time, 3.3B gallons of fuel use, and 64.7B lb of CO₂ emissions in the U.S.³⁶

Energy

• In 2024, the U.S. spent $1.5T on energy—about $4,440.10 per person, or 5.15% of GDP.³⁷
• More U.S. energy comes from petroleum than any other source, accounting for more than 37% of energy consumption.³⁸
• Daily U.S. per capita energy use included 2.53 gal of oil, 7.24 lb of coal, and 268 ft³ of natural gas.^1,38
• Residential electricity use was 12 kWh/person daily.³⁸
• In 2022, with less than 5% of the world’s population,^39,40 the U.S. used 16% of the world’s energy⁴¹ and generated 15% of world GDP.⁴²
• The EU had 6% of the world’s population,⁴⁰ used 10% of global energy, and accounted for 15% of world GDP.⁴² While China had 18% of the world’s population,³⁹ used 29% of its energy,⁴¹ and contributed 18% of world GDP.⁴²