Contents
- Fruit consumption statistics by sex among U.S. adults
- Fruit consumption statistics across adult family-income groups
- Fruit consumption statistics by age among U.S. children and adolescents
- Fruit consumption frequency in the Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023
- fruit consumption: Rodrigues survey estimates of mean daily fruit intake by age
- Sources
Fruit consumption statistics by sex among U.S. adults
The CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) estimates describe whether participants consumed a fruit type on a given day. They do not measure how much fruit a person ate. These estimates cover U.S. adults age 20 and older during August 2021–August 2023, using day 1 dietary recalls. For any fruit, 69.9% of adults reported consumption on a given day. The estimate was 66.1% for men and 73.5% for women. The report marks the difference between women and men as statistically significant. CDC, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults
| Fruit type consumed on a given day | All adults | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | 69.9% | 66.1% | 73.5% |
| Citrus, melons, or berries | 31.3% | 27.2% | 35.2% |
| Other whole fruit | 50.0% | 47.0% | 52.9% |
| 100% fruit juice | 31.0% | 29.0% | 32.8% |
Percentages are the estimated share in each population group consuming the listed fruit type on a given day. CDC, Figure 1 data table
The two whole-fruit groupings provide separate views of the daily pattern. Citrus, melons, or berries were reported by 31.3% of adults, while other whole fruit was reported by 50.0%. The “other whole fruit” category is a report-defined grouping; it should not be read as a measure of all fruit intake in grams. The 31.0% estimate for 100% fruit juice is also a separate measure. The categories need not be treated as mutually exclusive: a participant could consume more than one type on the recall day. CDC, Figure 1 data table
For each listed category, women had a higher point estimate than men. The supplied report evidence marks the differences for any fruit, citrus, melons, or berries, and other whole fruit as statistically significant at p < 0.05. No such significance marker is supplied for 100% fruit juice, so that comparison is best described by the estimates alone: 32.8% among women and 29.0% among men. These are population estimates for a single recalled day, not the percentage who eat fruit every day over a longer period. CDC, Figure 1 data table
Fruit consumption statistics across adult family-income groups
The adult estimates also vary across family-income categories defined relative to the federal poverty level (FPL). The CDC reports estimates for adults age 20 and older in August 2021–August 2023. “Less than 130% FPL,” “130%–349% FPL,” and “350% or more FPL” are the report’s income bands. For any fruit, the estimated share consuming it on a given day was 56.9% in the lowest band, 67.4% in the middle band, and 76.5% in the highest band. The CDC marks a significant increasing linear trend across the income groups. CDC, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults, Figure 3
| Fruit type consumed on a given day | Less than 130% FPL | 130%–349% FPL | 350% or more FPL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | 56.9% | 67.4% | 76.5% |
| Citrus, melons, or berries | 19.6% | 30.6% | 38.0% |
| Other whole fruit | 37.2% | 47.3% | 57.3% |
| 100% fruit juice | 29.0% | 28.1% | 32.1% |
Percentages are the estimated share in each family-income group consuming the listed type on a given day. CDC, Figure 3 data table
The three whole-fruit measures show higher estimates in each successive income band. For citrus, melons, or berries, the figures are 19.6%, 30.6%, and 38.0%; for other whole fruit, 37.2%, 47.3%, and 57.3%. The report’s evidence marks increasing linear trends for both series, as well as for any fruit. This describes a statistical pattern across the reported categories. It does not explain why the estimates differ or establish that income itself caused a difference in consumption. CDC, Figure 3 data table
The juice series does not follow the same stepwise pattern: the estimate is 29.0% below 130% FPL, 28.1% at 130%–349% FPL, and 32.1% at 350% FPL or more. The report marks the middle group’s estimate as significantly different from the highest group at p < 0.05. The figures concern 100% fruit juice on a given day and should not be combined with the whole-fruit estimates as though they were quantities or a total intake measure. CDC, Figure 3 data table
Fruit consumption statistics by age among U.S. children and adolescents
The CDC youth report covers U.S. children and adolescents ages 2–19 during August 2021–August 2023. As with the adult statistics, the outcome is whether a participant consumed a fruit type on a given day, based on day 1 dietary recall; it is not a daily amount. Across all children and adolescents, 77.0% consumed any fruit on the recalled day. The age-specific estimate was 91.8% for ages 2–5, 83.3% for ages 6–11, and 66.2% for ages 12–19. The report marks a significant decreasing linear trend by age for any fruit. CDC, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Children and Adolescents
| Fruit type consumed on a given day | Ages 2–19 | Ages 2–5 | Ages 6–11 | Ages 12–19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any fruit | 77.0% | 91.8% | 83.3% | 66.2% |
| Citrus, melons, or berries | 37.2% | 53.9% | 44.1% | 25.3% |
| Other whole fruit | 55.5% | 71.4% | 58.4% | 46.6% |
| 100% fruit juice | 44.6% | 56.9% | 50.4% | 35.3% |
Percentages are the estimated share of each age group consuming the listed type on a given day. CDC, youth report Figure 1 data table
The estimates for citrus, melons, or berries also decline across the listed age groups: 53.9% among ages 2–5, 44.1% among ages 6–11, and 25.3% among ages 12–19. The overall estimate for ages 2–19 is 37.2%. For this category, the report marks a significant decreasing linear trend by age. Other whole fruit follows the same ordering in the point estimates, from 71.4% to 58.4% to 46.6%, with 55.5% across all children and adolescents. CDC, youth report Figure 1 data table
For 100% fruit juice, the age-specific estimates are 56.9% for ages 2–5, 50.4% for ages 6–11, and 35.3% for ages 12–19; the estimate across ages 2–19 is 44.6%. The supplied evidence marks a significant decreasing linear trend by age for this category as well. The table reports separate fruit types, and a person may have consumed more than one on the recalled day. These data therefore compare the prevalence of consumption by category rather than dividing young people into exclusive types of fruit consumers. CDC, youth report Figure 1 data table
Fruit consumption frequency in the Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023
The Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023 reports both the proportion of respondents consuming listed fruit types and, separately, how often respondents who consumed each type said they ate it. Those denominators differ: the “respondent consuming” percentage covers survey respondents, while daily, weekly, and monthly frequency percentages apply only among consumers of that fruit. The figures below are from the report’s fruit-frequency table. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63a, p. 75
| Fruit item | Respondents consuming | Daily among consumers | Weekly among consumers | Monthly among consumers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow/orange fruits | 91.5% | 25.3% | 65.4% | 9.3% |
| Other fresh fruit | 90.5% | 32.0% | 59.1% | 8.9% |
The frequency columns are conditional on respondents who consumed that item; they are not percentages of all respondents. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63a, p. 75
Yellow/orange fruits were reported by 91.5% of survey respondents. Among respondents who consumed them, 25.3% reported daily consumption, 65.4% weekly consumption, and 9.3% monthly consumption. Other fresh fruit was reported by 90.5% of respondents; among consumers, 32.0% reported daily, 59.1% weekly, and 8.9% monthly consumption. The frequency categories describe reported patterns within each consumer group, whereas the first percentage describes how widely each item was reported across respondents. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63a, p. 75
These are not directly comparable with the CDC figures above. The CDC reports whether a participant consumed fruit on one recalled day, while the Rodrigues table gives a respondent-consuming prevalence and a frequency distribution among consumers. The labels also differ: the Rodrigues items are yellow/orange fruits and other fresh fruit, while the CDC presents citrus, melons, or berries; other whole fruit; any fruit; and 100% fruit juice. The measures should be read according to their own populations, definitions, and time frames. CDC adult report; CDC youth report; Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63a
fruit consumption: Rodrigues survey estimates of mean daily fruit intake by age
A separate Rodrigues survey table estimates mean per-capita daily intake in grams for age groups 12–19, 20–49, 50–74, and 12–74. For all listed ages combined, the mean per-capita intake of fruit was 170.5 g per day. The age-group estimates were 146.3 g per day for ages 12–19, 170.3 g for ages 20–49, and 187.6 g for ages 50–74. These are mean daily amounts, a different measure from the frequency percentages in the previous section and the CDC’s share consuming on a given day. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63b, p. 75
| Fruit measure | Ages 12–19 | Ages 20–49 | Ages 50–74 | Ages 12–74 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean per-capita daily intake of fruit | 146.3 g | 170.3 g | 187.6 g | 170.5 g |
The survey reports mean per-capita intake in grams per day. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63b, p. 75
The table also separates fruit types for the combined ages 12–74. Mean per-capita daily intake was 111.1 g for yellow/orange/red fruit, 73.5 g for other fresh fruit, and 7.0 g for canned fruit. These are the table’s category-specific estimates; the report’s table labels and units are retained here. They provide detail on the composition of the reported estimates without converting the values into shares or making new totals. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Table 63b, p. 75
Taken together, the Rodrigues tables answer distinct questions: Table 63a describes how often consumers reported eating two fruit groups, while Table 63b estimates mean per-capita daily intake by age and type. The frequency values are percentages among people who consumed the item; the intake values are grams per day averaged per capita. Keeping those denominators and units visible is essential when interpreting fruit consumption statistics across the survey’s measures. Rodrigues Nutrition Survey 2023, Tables 63a and 63b, p. 75