We have just one planet, with its forests, fields and rivers… but only one. The problem is that we are using its resources intensively as if there were two, three or five Earths instead of just one. This is what Earth Overshoot Day tries to highlight: it is a date promoted by the not-for-profit organisation Global Footprint Network to warn the world that the current rate of consumption is unsustainable.

What will I find in this article?

• What is Earth Overshoot Day?
• Earth Overshoot Day 2025. What do the latest data reveal?
• What countries consume most resources?

Key data

What is Earth Overshoot Day?

Earth Overshoot Day is the date that indicates that we have consumed all the resources that our planet can generate in one year. It is calculated every year by dividing the planet's biocapacity by the human race’s ecological footprint and multiplying it by 365 (the number of days in a year).

When does the overshoot take place? When more is consumed than the resources available. In other words, from that day onwards, we are experiencing an environmental deficit. Not only are we consuming our annual natural capital too soon, we are also taking resources from the future to cover the present.

The bigger the deficit, the earlier Earth Overshoot Day will be before 31 December, because we are exhausting all the available resources by that date.

The main cause is the pressure that people put on the planet. Deforestation, overfishing and overharvesting are behind this abuse of resources, as well as many other activities carried out by people. So, it is down to us whether Overshoot Day is pushed back or brought forward in the year.

Earth Overshoot Day is the date that indicates that we have consumed all the resources that our planet can generate in one year

Earth Overshoot Day 2025. What do the latest data reveal?

July 24 is Earth Overshoot Day. This means that on that date we will have exhausted the resources that the planet can generate in one year.

The first records go back to December 29, 1970. Five decades later and with more than 5 months still ahead in 2025, we have already exhausted our quota of Earth's biological resources for the year.

This year, Earth Overshoot Day has been brought forward by 1 week (8 days) compared to 2024. One key factor was lowering the estimate of the ocean’s capacity for carbon sequestration. Of the 8 days referred to above, 7 are due to the updating of available data.

The human race currently uses up natural resources 80% faster than the Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate themselves, which means that the excess is equivalent to using 1.8 Earths.

To meet the UN IPCC's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 43% worldwide by 2030 compared to 2010, Earth Overshoot Day would need to be delayed by 19 days a year over the next seven years.

As the Earth Overshoot Day website points out, implementing certain changes could put back the date of the overshoot. For example, increasing global sources of clean energy from 39% to 75% would move this date back by 26 days. Halving food waste would make push it back 13 days and more sustainable agricultural practices such as intercropping trees would gain 2.1 additional days.

However, these are just three examples. It is essential to take comprehensive and widespread measures on a global scale to combat the systemic destruction that is taking place. For example, it is necessary to drive sustainable regeneration in all sectors, which not only involves avoiding irresponsible exploitation of resources but also actively restoring conditions that support life. Reconciling ourselves with nature and pursuing a positive impact on the planet should be the guiding principles of our collective decisions.

What countries consume most resources?

Not all countries use the same resources or consume the same amount. That is why each country has a different overshoot day because not all have the same biocapacity or carbon footprint.

According to data from Global Footprint, the country that overshoots most is Qatar (February 7, 2025), while Uruguay does so the least (December 17). In Spain, for example, Earth Overshoot Day was May 23 (3 days later than in 2024). If the entire human race adopted a lifestyle similar to the average Spanish model, it would need 2.5 planets to maintain it

Not only is there inequality in the resources consumed, but also in the effects of climate change. Paradoxically, the countries that consume fewest resources are also the most vulnerable to the impact of extreme climate events such as hurricanes, flooding or wildfires, which are the most visible effects of global heating.

Faced with this situation, we should take advantage of Earth Overshoot Day to reflect on ways of covering our current needs without compromising resources for the future. Making a commitment to sustainable development is not an option but a collective responsibility. This is the only way to conserve the planet —our only common home— and guarantee dignified living conditions for future generations.