How Many Planets Our Resources Would Need

“Several Earths would be needed” is a way to explain the Ecological Footprint: how many planets would be required if everyone had the same resource footprint as residents of a particular country. One number does not describe both Europe and North America: Global Footprint Network estimated 2.8 planets for the average EU resident using 2019 data, while its 2024 dataset puts the U.S. at about 5. Results depend on country, year, and method.