Overview

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is the UK’s primary tool for assessing dietary habits, nutrient intake, and nutritional status across the general population aged 18 months and over. Conducted annually since 2008, it provides evidence to guide UK government health and nutrition policies and is used by bodies such as the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

This latest report, published on 11 June 2025, covers data collected between October 2019 and July 2023. Data collection paused temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic (March – October 2020). The report includes diet, nutrient intake, and biomarker analysis for various demographic groups, with breakdowns by age, sex, income, deprivation, and out-of-home food consumption.

Key Findings

Dietary Patterns

• Fruit and Vegetables:
  • Intakes remain well below recommendations.
  • Only 17% of adults and 9% of 11–18 year-olds met the ‘5 A Day’ target.
  • Trend worsening post-pandemic and amid rising food costs.

• Fibre:
  • Very poor adherence to recommendations.
  • 96% of adults and 11–18 year-olds did not meet fibre targets.
  • Strong socioeconomic gradient – higher income linked to better fibre intake.

• Saturated Fat and Free Sugars:
  • Saturated fat intake exceeded the 10% energy threshold in ~85% of both children and adults.
  • Free sugars accounted for 10–12% of energy; only 9% of children and 19% of adults met the ≤5% recommendation.

• Red/Processed Meat:
  • Average intake is now below 70g/day (within recommended limits).
  • However, ~27% of adult men still exceeded 90g/day.

• Sugar-Sweetened Drinks:
  • Highest among teenagers (11–18 years: avg. 124ml/day; top consumers: 606ml/day).
  • Notably high intakes also in adult men (up to 768ml/day).

Nutritional Status Biomarkers

• Vitamin D:
  • 18% of adults (19–64 years) and 12% of 65+ had deficient levels (<25 nmol/L).
  • Socioeconomic disparity observed – status improves with higher income (except in 65+).

• Folate:
  • 83% of women of childbearing age had suboptimal RBC folate (<748 nmol/L)—raising NTD risk.
  • 12% of 11–18 year olds had frank folate deficiency (<305 nmol/L).

• Iodine:
  • Adolescents and women of childbearing age fell below adequacy thresholds (<100 µg/L UIC).
  • Declining trend in iodine status since 2013 – down 29% in girls and 25% in adults.

Equity and Risk Factors

• Income and Deprivation:
  • Nutritional inequalities persist – higher income correlates with better fibre, fruit/veg, vitamin D, and folate status.
  • IMD analysis (England only) suggests deprivation is a stronger predictor of poor diet than income alone.
  • Poor diet was prevalent across all income groups, but worse among the most deprived.

• Out-of-Home Food Consumption
  • 72% reported eating out in the last week; most commonly 1–2 times/week.
  • For those eating out, ~23% of calorie intake came from such occasions, often high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.