The per capita availability of vegetables and pulses in the United States fell to 170.5 kilograms per person in 2024, the lowest total in over 35 years, according to preliminary estimates from the USDA's Economic Research Service.
Per capita availability is a proxy for what is available to be consumed domestically. It reflects changes in domestic supply, trade, and population size, while not accounting for any food loss or waste that may occur throughout the supply chain.
The 2024 estimate represents a decline of 22.7 kilograms from the 1996 peak and reflects long-term shifts in vegetable production and trade patterns. The overall trend away from potatoes and processing vegetables has driven much of this long-term decline. Processing vegetables declined by 14.5 kilograms from 1996 to 2024, while potato availability dropped by 12.7 kilograms.
In contrast, fresh vegetables increased by 2.7 kilograms, from 64.4 kilograms in 1996 to 67.1 kilograms in 2024. Though modest in absolute terms, this increase, coupled with declines in other categories, contributed to fresh vegetables becoming the largest component of total per capita availability by 2024.
In 2024, fresh vegetables accounted for 39 per cent of total availability, followed by potatoes (31 per cent), processing vegetables (25 per cent), pulses (3 per cent), and mushrooms (1 per cent).
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