Fruit Consumption in Asia

How many kilograms of fruit do people in Asia eat every year?

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We recently looked at the vegetable consumption in Asia. Today, we’re going to look closer at the fruit consumption.
The WHO recommend adults to consume at least 400 grams of vegetables and fruits every day. The CDC recommends at least 1.5 cups of fruit per day. We already learnt that a daily intake of 240 grams of vegetables is recommended. Taking the recommendations of the WHO and CDC in mind, that would mean an estimated intake of 160 grams of fruit per day is recommended for adults. Per year this is 58.4 kg.

Laos (148 kg), Oman (134 kg), Iran (132 kg) and Turkey (128 kg) not only have the highest fruit consumption in Asia, but also are one of the biggest consumers of vegetables in Asia. At the bottom we can see something similar. Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have both a low vegetable and fruit consumption. Fruit consumption in most of Central Asia isn’t very high. But they are one of the biggest consumer of vegetables in Asia.

Curious about fruit consumption in Europe? Check out this map.

But how exactly does the FAO define fruits? It probably matches mostly with what you would consider a fruit. Juices and fried fruits are also included. However, there is one interesting exception. Melons and watermelons are not considered a fruit by the FAO, but a vegetable. Yes, the FAO considers melons and watermelons to be vegetables. This is the FAO’s explanation: “Although melons and watermelons are generally considered to be fruits, FAO groups them with vegetables because they are temporary crops”. Want to see the full list? Have a look here.