Dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Dietary composition by country was 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
41.58 kilocalories per day per capita
Change on year
up 20.3%
World rank
33rd
of 191 countries
All-time high
41.58 kilocalories per day per capita
in 2023
All-time low
0 kilocalories per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per day per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia stood at 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.3% on the previous year and up 26.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia peaked at 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 kilocalories per day per capita, in 1961.
Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd of 191 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1963 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1964 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1965 | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1966 | 9.85 kilocalories per day per capita | — |
| 1967 | 9.83 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 9.8 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 9.78 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 1.63 kilocalories per day per capita | -83.3% |
| 1971 | 1.63 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 3.25 kilocalories per day per capita | +99.6% |
| 1973 | 8.1 kilocalories per day per capita | +149.5% |
| 1974 | 14.57 kilocalories per day per capita | +79.8% |
| 1975 | 4.86 kilocalories per day per capita | -66.7% |
| 1976 | 4.86 kilocalories per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 11.34 kilocalories per day per capita | +133.3% |
| 1978 | 17.83 kilocalories per day per capita | +57.2% |
| 1979 | 19.48 kilocalories per day per capita | +9.3% |
| 1980 | 17.9 kilocalories per day per capita | -8.1% |
| 1981 | 19.6 kilocalories per day per capita | +9.5% |
| 1982 | 26.2 kilocalories per day per capita | +33.7% |
| 1983 | 22.94 kilocalories per day per capita | -12.4% |
| 1984 | 22.9 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 22.8 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 19.36 kilocalories per day per capita | -15.1% |
| 1987 | 20.69 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 20.4 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 17.01 kilocalories per day per capita | -16.6% |
| 1990 | 18.28 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.4% |
| 1991 | 16.5 kilocalories per day per capita | -9.7% |
| 1992 | 7.39 kilocalories per day per capita | -55.2% |
| 1993 | 4.36 kilocalories per day per capita | -41.0% |
| 1994 | 5.71 kilocalories per day per capita | +30.9% |
| 1995 | 11.18 kilocalories per day per capita | +95.8% |
| 1996 | 9.54 kilocalories per day per capita | -14.7% |
| 1997 | 11.93 kilocalories per day per capita | +25.1% |
| 1998 | 11.63 kilocalories per day per capita | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 11.41 kilocalories per day per capita | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 19.92 kilocalories per day per capita | +74.6% |
| 2001 | 15.94 kilocalories per day per capita | -20.0% |
| 2002 | 17.06 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 15.81 kilocalories per day per capita | -7.3% |
| 2004 | 16.97 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 22.82 kilocalories per day per capita | +34.5% |
| 2006 | 26.01 kilocalories per day per capita | +14.0% |
| 2007 | 27.81 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 13.59 kilocalories per day per capita | -51.1% |
| 2009 | 18.81 kilocalories per day per capita | +38.4% |
| 2010 | 29.78 kilocalories per day per capita | +58.3% |
| 2011 | 31.66 kilocalories per day per capita | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 34.7 kilocalories per day per capita | +9.6% |
| 2013 | 32.81 kilocalories per day per capita | -5.4% |
| 2014 | 32.75 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 32.56 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 32.47 kilocalories per day per capita | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 32.94 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 31.42 kilocalories per day per capita | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 27.61 kilocalories per day per capita | -12.1% |
| 2020 | 29.77 kilocalories per day per capita | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 30.24 kilocalories per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 34.55 kilocalories per day per capita | +14.3% |
| 2023 | 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita | +20.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for high income countries, which is 17.56 kilocalories per day per capita, 2.4× the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7.59 kilocalories per day per capita, 5.5× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | +149.5% | 3.25 kilocalories per day per capita | 8.1 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 1977 | +133.3% | 4.86 kilocalories per day per capita | 11.34 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 1972 | +99.6% | 1.63 kilocalories per day per capita | 3.25 kilocalories per day per capita |
| 1995 | +95.8% | 5.71 kilocalories per day per capita | 11.18 kilocalories per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.36 kilocalories per day per capita | 0 kilocalories per day per capita | 9.85 kilocalories per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.75 kilocalories per day per capita | 1.63 kilocalories per day per capita | 19.48 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.98 kilocalories per day per capita | 17.01 kilocalories per day per capita | 26.2 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.79 kilocalories per day per capita | 4.36 kilocalories per day per capita | 18.28 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.47 kilocalories per day per capita | 13.59 kilocalories per day per capita | 27.81 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.87 kilocalories per day per capita | 27.61 kilocalories per day per capita | 34.7 kilocalories per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.03 kilocalories per day per capita | 29.77 kilocalories per day per capita | 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 30 Guyana 43.49 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 31 Kuwait 42.5 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 32 Micronesia (country) 41.94 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 34 Qatar 41.24 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 35 United Kingdom 39.84 kilocalories per day per capita compare
- 36 Ireland 38.66 kilocalories per day per capita compare
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia?
- Dietary composition by country in Saudi Arabia was 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest dietary composition by country recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 41.58 kilocalories per day per capita in 2023.
- What is the lowest dietary composition by country recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 kilocalories per day per capita in 1961.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for dietary composition by country?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 33rd out of 191 countries with data for 2023.
- Is dietary composition by country rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Dietary composition by country. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.