Daily supply of calories per person in China
China: Daily supply of calories per person was 3,527 kilocalories per day in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
3,527 kilocalories per day
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
21st
of 192 countries
All-time high
3,527 kilocalories per day
in 2023
All-time low
1,426 kilocalories per day
in 1961
Years of data
65
1934–2023
Daily supply of calories per person in China, 1934–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day.
Analysis
The most recent figure for daily supply of calories per person in China is 3,527 kilocalories per day, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, daily supply of calories per person in China peaked at 3,527 kilocalories per day in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1,426 kilocalories per day, in 1961.
China ranks 21st of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Daily supply of calories per person in China, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 2,230 kilocalories per day | — |
| 1949 | 2,030 kilocalories per day | -9.0% |
| 1961 | 1,426 kilocalories per day | -29.7% |
| 1962 | 1,541 kilocalories per day | +8.0% |
| 1963 | 1,590 kilocalories per day | +3.2% |
| 1964 | 1,646 kilocalories per day | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 1,768 kilocalories per day | +7.4% |
| 1966 | 1,832 kilocalories per day | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 1,789 kilocalories per day | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 1,735 kilocalories per day | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 1,711 kilocalories per day | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 1,820 kilocalories per day | +6.4% |
| 1971 | 1,827 kilocalories per day | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 1,813 kilocalories per day | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 1,885 kilocalories per day | +4.0% |
| 1974 | 1,884 kilocalories per day | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 1,904 kilocalories per day | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 1,873 kilocalories per day | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 1,915 kilocalories per day | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 2,064 kilocalories per day | +7.8% |
| 1979 | 2,079 kilocalories per day | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 2,148 kilocalories per day | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 2,165 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 2,326 kilocalories per day | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 2,396 kilocalories per day | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 2,434 kilocalories per day | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 2,435 kilocalories per day | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 2,435 kilocalories per day | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2,455 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 2,437 kilocalories per day | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 2,429 kilocalories per day | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 2,530 kilocalories per day | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 2,456 kilocalories per day | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 2,486 kilocalories per day | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 2,571 kilocalories per day | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 2,640 kilocalories per day | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 2,729 kilocalories per day | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 2,732 kilocalories per day | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 2,760 kilocalories per day | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 2,802 kilocalories per day | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 2,791 kilocalories per day | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 2,832 kilocalories per day | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 2,836 kilocalories per day | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 2,851 kilocalories per day | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 2,851 kilocalories per day | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 2,875 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 2,897 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 2,901 kilocalories per day | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 2,938 kilocalories per day | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 2,997 kilocalories per day | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 3,013 kilocalories per day | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 3,041 kilocalories per day | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 3,088 kilocalories per day | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 3,103 kilocalories per day | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 3,100 kilocalories per day | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 3,200 kilocalories per day | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 3,236 kilocalories per day | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 3,227 kilocalories per day | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 3,264 kilocalories per day | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 3,280 kilocalories per day | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 3,308 kilocalories per day | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 3,330 kilocalories per day | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 3,418 kilocalories per day | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 3,472 kilocalories per day | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 3,527 kilocalories per day | +1.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 3,527 kilocalories per day is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3,000 kilocalories per day, 1.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 3,527 kilocalories per day is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2,971 kilocalories per day, 1.2× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Daily supply of calories per person in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -29.7% | 2,030 kilocalories per day | 1,426 kilocalories per day |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 2,230 kilocalories per day | 2,230 kilocalories per day | 2,230 kilocalories per day | 1 |
| 1940s | 2,030 kilocalories per day | 2,030 kilocalories per day | 2,030 kilocalories per day | 1 |
| 1960s | 1,671 kilocalories per day | 1,426 kilocalories per day | 1,832 kilocalories per day | 9 |
| 1970s | 1,906 kilocalories per day | 1,813 kilocalories per day | 2,079 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,366 kilocalories per day | 2,148 kilocalories per day | 2,455 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,650 kilocalories per day | 2,456 kilocalories per day | 2,802 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,899 kilocalories per day | 2,832 kilocalories per day | 3,013 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,185 kilocalories per day | 3,041 kilocalories per day | 3,308 kilocalories per day | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,437 kilocalories per day | 3,330 kilocalories per day | 3,527 kilocalories per day | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is daily supply of calories per person in China?
- Daily supply of calories per person in China was 3,527 kilocalories per day in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest daily supply of calories per person recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3,527 kilocalories per day in 2023.
- What is the lowest daily supply of calories per person recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,426 kilocalories per day in 1961.
- How does China rank for daily supply of calories per person?
- China ranks 21st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is daily supply of calories per person rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Daily supply of calories per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in kilocalories per person per day. This indicates the calories that are available for consumption, but does not necessarily measure the number of calories actually consumed, since it doesn't factor in consumer waste.