Average Protein Intake: What People Eat vs What They Need

Adults in the United States eat an average of 89.3 g of protein a day if they’re men and 65.6 g if they’re women. UK adults average about 85 g and 67 g, and Australia reports medians of 98 g and 75 g. In the US that clears the 0.8 g/kg RDA but falls short of the 1.2–1.6 g/kg range in the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines.

What is the average protein intake for adults?

The average protein intake for US adults is 77.1 g a day, men and women together. Men average 89.3 g and women 65.6 g. Men also eat more food, 2,330 kcal against 1,760 kcal. So the share of energy is nearly the same. At 4 kcal per gram it is about 15% for men and 15% for women.

Country and survey	Men	Women	Share of energy
United States, 2021–2023, adults 20 and over, mean	89.3 g	65.6 g	15% and 15%
United Kingdom, 2016–2019, adults 19–64, mean	85.2 g	66.8 g	17% and 17%
Australia, 2023, median, males and females	98 g	75 g	19% for both

Don’t compare single digits across rows. The US figures are means from one 24-hour recall per person. The UK figures are means from the national diet survey. The Australian ones are medians of usual intake, and in a skewed group a mean and a median can sit several grams apart. All three shares fall inside the 10–35% range that the Wolfe review cites as the acceptable range for protein.

Is the average protein intake enough?

It clears the 0.8 g/kg minimum and falls short of the 1.2–1.6 g/kg range. To see it, I divided intake by body weight, using weights from a different survey, the CDC’s 2015–2018 reference data. The two surveys sampled different people. So the ratio is rough.

Adults 20 and over, United States	Men	Women
Average weight	90.6 kg	77.5 kg
Average protein intake	89.3 g	65.6 g
Intake per kg	0.99 g/kg	0.85 g/kg
Minimum at 0.8 g/kg (RDA)	72 g	62 g
Guidelines range at 1.2–1.6 g/kg	109–145 g	93–124 g
Gap to the low end of the range	19 g	27 g

Average men land at 0.99 g/kg and average women at 0.85 g/kg. Men who want a target of their own can start from daily protein intake for men. Both clear 0.8 g/kg, which the Wolfe review describes as the minimum needed to avoid a loss of body nitrogen. Neither reaches 1.2 g/kg.

The UK picture differs. The British Nutrition Foundation puts the adult requirement at 0.75 g/kg. That is 56 g for men and 45 g for women, and it says average UK intakes are above both.

Australia reports it another way. The ABS counts how many people fall short of the Estimated Average Requirement (52 g a day for men, 37 g for women aged 18–64), and 98.5% did not.

What does 66 g of protein look like on a plate?

About three modest meals. Using USDA records, two large eggs (100.6 g) give 12.5 g. One container of nonfat Greek yogurt (156 g) gives 16.1 g. A 120 g portion of braised chicken breast gives 38.5 g. Together that is 67.1 g of protein and 442 kcal, close to the average US woman’s day.

For a 77.5 kg woman the low end of the range is 93 g. Add a cup of boiled lentils (198 g, 17.9 g) and two more eggs, and the day reaches 97.4 g.

Why does the average hide so much?

Spread is the problem. In the UK survey, the middle 95% of men aged 19–64 ate between 40 g and 143 g a day. For women it was 31 g to 109 g. In Australia the top 5% of males ate 151 g or more, against a median of 98 g.

Age matters too. UK women aged 65 and over average 60.6 g, about 6 g below women aged 19–64. The Dietary Guidelines say some older adults need fewer calories but equal or greater amounts of key nutrients such as protein. A falling average is a poor target for them, and aging and protein intake covers what the research does support.

Should I aim for the average?

I wouldn’t. The average describes what people eat now, which is a different question from what a person of your weight and age needs. A single recall day is also a thin base for a goal. Use the range for your weight, which how much protein you should eat a day works through, then check what you eat.

A survey table can’t answer the kidney disease question. Take that target to your doctor. Pregnancy and breastfeeding shift the numbers as well. This guide is for adults.

How do I find where my intake sits?

Log three ordinary days, not your best three. Weigh the foods that carry the most protein, such as meat, fish, yogurt and tofu, and add up the grams. Then divide the daily average by your weight in kg and compare the result with the 1.2–1.6 g/kg range. The steps to calculate protein intake are the same ones in a different order.

Say a 70 kg adult logs 82 g, 94 g and 76 g. The average is 84 g, and 84 ÷ 70 is 1.2 g/kg, the low end of the range. Anything under 0.8 g/kg is below the minimum, and between 0.8 and 1.2 g/kg is where the average US adult sits.

For grams at your own height and weight, use the protein calculator. It turns the guideline range into a daily target.

Calsa lists protein beside calories for each day, so adding up my three days takes one look.