Minimum daily requirement of calories in India
India: Minimum daily requirement of calories was 1,808 kilocalories per person per day in 2024. ▲ Rising
Minimum daily requirement of calories in India, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilocalories per person per day.
Analysis
India recorded 1,808 kilocalories per person per day for minimum daily requirement of calories in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, minimum daily requirement of calories in India peaked at 1,808 kilocalories per person per day in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,714 kilocalories per person per day, in 2000.
That places India 116th out of 195 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Minimum daily requirement of calories in India, year by year
| Year | kilocalories per person per day | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,714 kilocalories per person per day | — |
| 2001 | 1,719 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1,725 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1,730 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 1,735 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 1,741 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 1,747 kilocalories per person per day | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 1,751 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 1,755 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 1,759 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1,762 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 1,765 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1,769 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 1,772 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1,776 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 1,780 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 1,783 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 1,787 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 1,790 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 1,793 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 1,796 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 1,800 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 1,802 kilocalories per person per day | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 1,805 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 1,808 kilocalories per person per day | +0.2% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1,808 kilocalories per person per day is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1,774 kilocalories per person per day, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 1,808 kilocalories per person per day is above the median for South Asia, which is 1,802 kilocalories per person per day, 1.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,738 kilocalories per person per day | 1,714 kilocalories per person per day | 1,759 kilocalories per person per day | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,778 kilocalories per person per day | 1,762 kilocalories per person per day | 1,793 kilocalories per person per day | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,802 kilocalories per person per day | 1,796 kilocalories per person per day | 1,808 kilocalories per person per day | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 113 Kyrgyzstan 1,817 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 114 Uzbekistan 1,812 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 115 Ecuador 1,809 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 117 Eswatini 1,807 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 117 New Caledonia 1,807 kilocalories per person per day compare
- 119 Kenya 1,806 kilocalories per person per day compare
More reference data data for India
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 68.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 70.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 309.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 85.03 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is minimum daily requirement of calories in India?
- Minimum daily requirement of calories in India was 1,808 kilocalories per person per day in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest minimum daily requirement of calories recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 1,808 kilocalories per person per day in 2024.
- What is the lowest minimum daily requirement of calories recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,714 kilocalories per person per day in 2000.
- How does India rank for minimum daily requirement of calories?
- India ranks 116th out of 195 countries with data for 2024.
- Is minimum daily requirement of calories rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Minimum daily requirement of calories. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.