In 2019, 1 in 3 people in the EU reported not consuming any fruit or vegetables daily. Just 12% of the population consumed the recommended five portions or more daily. On average, over half of the EU population said they ate between 1 and 4 portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
The highest daily intake - five portions or more - among the EU Member States was reported in Ireland (33% of the population), the Netherlands (30%), Denmark (23%) and France (20%). The lowest daily intake was found in Romania, where only 2% of the population ate at least five portions of fruit and vegetables, followed by Bulgaria and Slovenia (both 5%) and Austria (6%).
Women’s daily intake of fruit and vegetables is higher than that of men: on average, 58% of women reported eating 1 to 4 portions compared to 51% for men. The same was true for a daily intake of five portions or more (15% vs 10%). The survey also showed that more men than women reported skipping their fruit and vegetable intake altogether (39% vs 27%).