There tends to be a clear correlation between economic development and MSW levels — urban regions , which equate to more than half of the global population , are therefore known for high MSW generation rates .
A 2012 World Bank study predicts MSW growth to outpace urbanization . Current MSW production sits at roughly 1.3 billion metric tons per year . In 2025 , this number is expected to nearly double to 2.2 billion tons per year , and again to 4.2 billion by 2050 . North America and Europe have the highest MSW generation rates and will continue to do so for many years due to rapid population growth and economic production . However , emerging nations have the highest MSW growth rates as they
15