blackboxcake.com Cake Baking & Decorating

Statistics

Sugar Consumption Statistics: U.S. Trends and Intake

U.S. sugar consumption statistics on sweetener availability, added sugar intake, beverage patterns, and recommendations.

November 12, 2026 9 min read blackboxcake.com Editorial Team

Contents

Sugar consumption statistics: U.S. per-capita sweetener availability over time

U.S. per-capita caloric sweetener availability was 153.6 pounds per person in 1999, a high in the ERS series. By 2023, 123.5 pounds per person were available for consumption. These figures describe the amount available in the food supply per person, not the amount each person actually ate. They are useful for viewing long-run supply patterns, but they should not be read as individual dietary records. Source: USDA ERS, Food Availability and Consumption

The two endpoints show that availability was lower in 2023 than at the 1999 high. A separate ERS comparison reports a 17% decline between 1999 and 2021, when the estimate was 127.3 pounds per person. That published percentage applies to those specific years; it does not describe the 1999–2023 comparison. The 2021 and 2023 values come from different ERS publications and years, so they are best treated as dated observations in a continuing series rather than as interchangeable snapshots. Source: USDA ERS, “Caloric sweetener availability dropped 17 percent over last two decades”

The distinction between availability and consumption matters throughout these statistics. ERS derives its per-capita series from commodities moving through the U.S. marketing system and divides deliveries by the U.S. population. The series does not identify where or how those commodities are consumed. It therefore cannot show how much a particular person, household, age group, or demographic group ingested. Source: USDA ERS, Food Availability Documentation

Sugar consumption statistics by sweetener type and source

The mix of available sweeteners changed over time. Total corn sweetener availability—which ERS defines as high-fructose corn syrup, glucose syrup, and dextrose—was 85.7 pounds per person in 1999 and 53.0 pounds in 2023. The broader 1999 figure for caloric sweeteners was 153.6 pounds per person; that total covers more than the specified corn-sweetener category. Source: USDA ERS, Food Availability and Consumption

For a consistent two-year comparison across sweetener types, ERS’s 2021 figures show corn sweeteners at 55.3 pounds per person and refined cane and beet sugar at 69.7 pounds per person. In the earlier year, corn sweetener availability was 85.7 pounds per person. ERS reports that refined cane and beet sugar began rising in 2010 and passed corn sweeteners in 2011. The 2021 comparison reflects availability by category, not a measured breakdown of what people ate. Source: USDA ERS, “Caloric sweetener availability dropped 17 percent over last two decades”

Sweetener measure199920212023
Caloric sweeteners, total153.6 lb/person127.3 lb/person123.5 lb/person
Corn sweeteners85.7 lb/person55.3 lb/person53.0 lb/person
Refined cane and beet sugar—69.7 lb/person68.4 lb/person

Availability in pounds per person. The 1999 refined-sugar value is not included here because the checked observations do not provide it. Sources: USDA ERS, Food Availability and Consumption; USDA ERS, “Caloric sweetener availability dropped 17 percent over last two decades”

Other caloric sweeteners appear on a much smaller per-capita scale in the 2021 ERS figures: honey availability was 1.5 pounds per person, and edible syrup availability was 0.9 pounds per person. Those measures are separate categories. They should not be confused with total caloric sweeteners or interpreted as daily intake. The ERS figures describe supply available for consumption over a year, expressed per person. Source: USDA ERS, “Caloric sweetener availability dropped 17 percent over last two decades”

Sugar consumption statistics for children and adolescents

CDC survey estimates provide a different view: mean daily added sugar intake, measured in teaspoons, for children and young adults aged 2–19. In 2017–2018, the overall average was 17 teaspoons per day. The reported averages were 18 teaspoons for boys and 15 teaspoons for girls. These are intake estimates for the specified population and period, rather than ERS supply estimates. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

CDC also reports mean daily added sugar intake by age and race/ethnicity. Among children aged 2–5 in 2017–2018, the averages were 13 teaspoons per day for non-Hispanic Black children, 12 for non-Hispanic White children, 11 for Hispanic children, and 7 for non-Hispanic Asian children. For children aged 6–11, the corresponding listed averages were 19 teaspoons for non-Hispanic Black children, 18 for non-Hispanic White children, 16 for Hispanic children, and 12 for non-Hispanic Asian children. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

For young people aged 12–19, the reported 2017–2018 means were 20 teaspoons per day for non-Hispanic Black young people, 20 for non-Hispanic White young people, 15 for Hispanic young people, and 14 for non-Hispanic Asian young people. The age bands are important: the figures describe separate groups, and the values should not be treated as estimates for every child or adolescent within a broad category. They also do not establish why group averages differ. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

Age group, 2017–2018Non-Hispanic BlackNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanicNon-Hispanic Asian
2–5 years13 tsp/day12 tsp/day11 tsp/day7 tsp/day
6–11 years19 tsp/day18 tsp/day16 tsp/day12 tsp/day
12–19 years20 tsp/day20 tsp/day15 tsp/day14 tsp/day

Mean daily added sugar intake. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

A separate CDC statistic concerns whether young children had consumed any sugar-sweetened beverage in a recent period. From 2021 to 2023, 55.9% of U.S. children aged 1–5 had consumed at least 1 sugar-sweetened beverage in the past 7 days. This is a prevalence measure over a seven-day recall window, not a daily quantity or a measure of added sugar in teaspoons. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

Sugar consumption statistics among adults by sex and race/ethnicity

For adults aged 20 or older, the CDC’s 2017–2018 estimate of mean daily added sugar intake was 17 teaspoons. Men averaged 19 teaspoons per day and women 15 teaspoons. The broad adult average and sex-specific averages all refer to the same stated period, but they represent group means rather than recommended limits or individual targets. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

The CDC’s adult estimates by race and ethnicity for 2017–2018 were 19 teaspoons per day for non-Hispanic Black adults, 17 for non-Hispanic White adults, 16 for Hispanic adults, and 10 for non-Hispanic Asian adults. These are reported averages of added sugar intake. The categories and measure should be kept as stated: the figures do not describe total sugars from all sources, and they do not explain the reasons behind differences among group means. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

Adult group, 2017–2018Mean added sugar intake
All adults aged 20 or older17 tsp/day
Men aged 20 or older19 tsp/day
Women aged 20 or older15 tsp/day
Non-Hispanic Black adults19 tsp/day
Non-Hispanic White adults17 tsp/day
Hispanic adults16 tsp/day
Non-Hispanic Asian adults10 tsp/day

Mean daily intake. Sex and race/ethnicity are separate breakdowns, not mutually exclusive rows in a single partition. Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

A USDA analysis of adults aged 20 or older provides another perspective: the share meeting the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume less than 10% of calories from added sugars. In 2015–2016, 47% met that recommendation, based on day 1 dietary data from WWEIA, NHANES. The report found no significant difference between adult males, at 49%, and adult females, at 45%, meeting the recommendation. Those are historical survey estimates from 2015–2016, not current-year values. Source: USDA ARS, “Added Sugars in Adults’ Diet: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015–2016”

sugar consumption: Added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption statistics

The USDA analysis also separates adults by whether their added sugar intake was below or at least 10% of total calories. In 2015–2016, adults in the under-10% group averaged 5.1% of calories from added sugars. Adults in the at-least-10% group averaged 19.4% of calories from added sugars. These values describe mean calorie shares within intake-status groups; they are not estimates of teaspoons per day. Source: USDA ARS, “Added Sugars in Adults’ Diet: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015–2016”

Beverages contributed 54% of adults’ mean daily added sugar intake in 2017–2018, according to the USDA’s WWEIA, NHANES day 1 report. The same report found beverages contributed 17% of adult males’ mean daily energy intake and 16% of adult females’ mean daily energy intake. Mean daily energy from beverages was 422 kilocalories for males and 296 kilocalories for females. Its beverage definition excludes liquids added to foods, so these measures should be understood within that scope. Source: USDA ARS, “Beverage Choices among Adults: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017–2018”

CDC estimates from 2011–2014 focus specifically on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). U.S. adults aged 20 or older consumed an average of 145 kilocalories per day from SSBs, equivalent to 6.5% of total daily calories on average. On a given day, 53.6% of adult men and 45.1% of adult women consumed at least 1 SSB. The calorie amount and the percentage consuming any SSB answer different questions: one describes mean energy intake, the other the share of adults reporting consumption that day. Source: CDC NCHS, “Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among U.S. Adults, 2011–2014”

The same CDC report gives the percentage of total daily calories from SSBs by adult age and sex. For adults aged 20–39, the shares were 9.3% for men and 8.2% for women. Among adults aged 40–59, they were 6.6% for men and 6.2% for women. For adults aged 60 and older, the values were 3.8% for men and 3.3% for women. These are historical averages for the stated age groups and survey period. Source: CDC NCHS, “Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among U.S. Adults, 2011–2014”

Sugar consumption statistics: recommendations and measurement caveats

WHO recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake. It says this level is equivalent to 50 g, or about 12 level teaspoons, for a healthy-weight person consuming about 2,000 calories per day. WHO also says limiting free sugars further, to 5% or less of total daily energy intake, may provide additional health benefits. These are recommendations, not observations of what people consumed. Source: WHO, “Healthy diet”

The term free sugars does not match every U.S. added-sugar statistic in this article. WHO defines free sugars to include added sugars and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates. The CDC and USDA added-sugar estimates use their own dietary measure. A comparison with WHO guidance therefore requires attention to the definition as well as the population, period, and unit. Source: WHO, “Healthy diet”; Source: CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”

The measures above answer different questions. ERS reports supply-derived pounds available per person; CDC’s added-sugar figures report mean daily intake in teaspoons; USDA’s intake-status analysis reports percentages of calories; and CDC’s SSB brief reports beverage calories, calorie shares, and the percentage consuming a beverage on a given day. Their units, populations, and reference periods should stay attached to each number. None should be silently converted into another measure or presented as an individual’s intake. Sources: USDA ERS, Food Availability Documentation; CDC, “Get the Facts: Added Sugars”; CDC NCHS, “Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among U.S. Adults, 2011–2014”

Finally, the dates are part of the findings. The availability figures refer to 1999, 2021, and 2023; the CDC added-sugar averages refer to 2017–2018; the USDA adult intake-status estimates refer to 2015–2016; and the CDC adult SSB estimates refer to 2011–2014. These historical snapshots show what those sources reported for those periods. They should not be recast as measurements of current consumption.

Sources

Written by

blackboxcake.com Editorial Team

Editorial team

Independent editorial coverage of cake baking & decorating.

More to Explore