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Food Prices for Nutrition DataHub: global statistics on the cost and affordability of healthy diets

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The Food Prices for Nutrition DataHub provides access to global statistics on the cost and affordability of healthy diets and related indicators. These data use food item availability and prices from the International Comparison Program (ICP), combined with food composition data and nutritional requirements from a wide range of sources including national dietary guidelines.

The 33 indicators and their metadata cover:

Diet cost

  • Cost of a healthy diet, per person per day
  • Cost of an energy sufficient diet and a nutrient adequate diet, per person per day
  • Cost per person per day, cost share, and cost relative to starchy staples of different food groups (fruits; vegetables; starchy staples; animal-sourced foods; legumes, nuts and seeds; and oils and fats)

Diet affordability

  • Share of the population and number of people who cannot afford each diet cost
  • Ratio of each diet cost to observed national average food expenditures
  • Ratio of each diet cost to the food component of the international poverty line

For further information on definitions and methods please refer to Methodology

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DATA HIGHLIGHTS

  • In 2020 the global average daily cost of a healthy diet in current purchasing power parities was $3.54. In low-income countries the average cost was $3.20, while in high-income countries it was slightly higher at $3.35. The highest cost was observed in upper-middle-income countries, where a healthy diet cost $3.76, while in lower-middle-income countries the average was slightly less at $3.70. 
  • These costs are far in excess of the food component (52%) of the current international poverty line of $1.90 a day. 
  • Comparing these costs with income distribution data provides a measure of the affordability of the diet. Around 42% - or 3.07 billion - of the global population could not afford a healthy diet in 2020. In low-income and lower-middle-income countries the proportions rose to 88% and 69% respectively, and in the twelve most afflicted countries - all in Sub-Saharan Africa - over 90% of the population could not afford a healthy diet.
  • These headline data are available for the years 2017 to 2020. The share of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell across all income groups and most regions between 2017 and 2019 but rose again in 2020. This may be attributed to the sharp increase in global consumer food prices in the second half of 2020 impacting the affordability. The exception was Middle East and North Africa where the share rose from 38.7% to 40.1% between 2017 and 2019 and fell to 38.5% in 2020.
  • The cost of each food group making up the cost of a healthy diet is also provided. The most expensive of the food groups is animal-sourced foods, priced on average at $0.87 for the daily quantity needed in a healthy diet. For this food group, the highest cost recorded is in South Asia at $1.08. Vegetables are the second most expensive at $0.79 while fruits cost $0.66 on average. 
  • The cost of each food group relative to the cost of starchy staples – often an easily accessible food providing calories – is also provided. The cost of vegetables relative to starchy staples was highest in the Maldives at over four times the cost, while fruits were 3.7 times the cost of starchy staples in Italy for example.

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Cost of a healthy diet and the population unable to afford the diet in countries

The cost per person per day of a healthy diet in each country with data in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 is plotted against the number of people who cannot afford the diet. Data on the share of population affected are also provided.

Cost of food groups relative to starchy staples in a least-cost healthy diet

The cost per person per day of the different food groups relative to that of starchy staples within a healthy diet for each country is provided in the map below. Cost in 2017 purchasing power parity dollars and cost share of each food group are also provided.

Affordability of diets in countries

The affordability of a least-cost healthy diet in each country with data in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 is provided in the map below. Affordability is expressed as the diet cost as a percentage of the food component of the international poverty line defined as 52 percent of $1.90 per day in 2011 prices, and equal to $0.99 in 2011 prices

Food Prices for Nutrition Data

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