This statistic displays the volume of electronic waste generated worldwide from 2010 to 2014 with a projection from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, it is predicted that some 49.8 million metric tons of e-waste will be produced globally. The majority of e-waste generated around the world are from small electronic equipment.

Technological advancements and growing consumer demand have defined the era in which electronics have become a prominent part of the waste stream. The global quantity of electronic waste in 2014 was mainly comprised of 12.8 million metric tons of small equipment, 11.8 million metric tons of large equipment and 7 million metric tons of temperature exchange equipment (including cooling and freezing equipment). The amount of e-waste is expected to grow to almost 50 million metric tons in total by 2018, with a growth rate of 4 to 5 percent year-to-year. In 2014, most of the e-waste worldwide was generated in Asia – in the country that was predicted to experience the strongest growth in the electrical and electronics industry from 2014 through 2016 – with 16 million metric tons of e-waste produced. In comparison, the Americas and Europe both produced around 11.6 million metric tons. The highest per inhabitant e-waste quantity was, however, the highest in Europe, with 15.6 kilograms per person. This was closely followed by Oceania at 15.2 kilograms per person and the Americas at 12.2 kilograms per person.