average consumption of sugar for individual per year
That is A LOT of sugar â especially when you compare it to how much we used to consume in the past. To put things into perspective, during the early-1800s, the average intake of sugar was only about 4-6 pounds per person per yearâ¦ not 150, 170, or 295 pounds! With each passing decade, there has been a steady increase in sugar consumption among the United Statesâ population.
According to data from the U.S. in 2008, people are consuming over 60 pounds (28 kg) of added sugar per year and this does not include fruit juices (1). In 2008 the average intake was 76.7 grams per day, which equals 19 teaspoons or 306 calories. According to this study, sugar consumption went down by 23% between the years 2000 and 2008, mainly because people drank less sugar-sweetened beverages.