Average protein supply

Definition

Grams of protein per person per day that are available in a country's food supply, calculated as a three-year average. This indicator is based on national-level data from FAO's Food Balance Sheets. Note that FAO's methodology for Food Balance Sheets changed for 2014 estimates and after, which may limit comparability pre and post-2014.

Relevance

Increasing the protein in national food supplies may be especially important for countries with a high prevalence of undernutrition. Consumption of animal-source foods, which are protein rich, has been associated with improved child growth (Headey, Hirvonen, and Hoddinott 2018). Plant-based foods such as legumes may also provide an important source of protein. This indicator does not consider protein quality/essential amino acid composition or distribution and access to protein-rich foods among population subgroups.

Additional Information

Recommended citation: FAO. 2024. FAOSTAT: Suite of Food Security Indicators. [Accessed the first week of every month]. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FS. Licence: CC-BY-4.0. More information: https://inddex.nutrition.tufts.edu/data4diets/indicator/national-average-supply-protein?back=/data4diets/indicators