Iceland vs United States: Minimum daily requirement of calories
Iceland
1,966 kilocalories per person per day
in 2024
United States
1,972 kilocalories per person per day
in 2024
Iceland rank
8th
United States rank
5th
Minimum daily requirement of calories over time
- Iceland
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 1,972 kilocalories per person per day against 1,966 kilocalories per person per day in Iceland, a difference of 6 kilocalories per person per day.
Across all 25 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
Iceland ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 195 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,945 kilocalories per person per day | 1,967 kilocalories per person per day | 21.9 kilocalories per person per day | United States |
| 2010s | 1,950 kilocalories per person per day | 1,968 kilocalories per person per day | 18.1 kilocalories per person per day | United States |
| 2020s | 1,964 kilocalories per person per day | 1,971 kilocalories per person per day | 7.6 kilocalories per person per day | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher minimum daily requirement of calories, Iceland or United States?
- United States, at 1,972 kilocalories per person per day against 1,966 kilocalories per person per day in Iceland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in minimum daily requirement of calories between Iceland and United States?
- 6 kilocalories per person per day, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and United States?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Iceland and United States rank globally for minimum daily requirement of calories?
- Iceland ranks 8th and United States ranks 5th of 195 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Minimum daily requirement of calories. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The minimum amount of daily dietary energy per person that is considered adequate to ensure they maintain a minimum weight for health. Across a population, this takes factors such as the age, sex, height, and activity levels of different individuals into account.