The chart illustrates the salt consumption in the US, broken down by age and gender, in 2000, compared with the recommended adult salt intake.
Overall, males consistently consumed more salt than their female counterparts, with the 20-39 age group recording the highest intake for both sexes. Notably, salt consumption in all age brackets exceeded the recommended daily limit, except for females aged over 60 and children under the age of six.
In terms of the younger demographics, salt intake was lowest among those aged 0-6, standing at 2,000 milligrams for boys and just 1,250 milligrams for girls – both well below the advised level of 2,500 milligrams. A sharp rise was evident in the 6-11 age group, where boys consumed 3,500 milligrams and girls 3,000 milligrams. This category not only surpassed the recommended limit but also exhibited the narrowest gender gap in salt intake across all groups. The upward trend continued in the 12-19 cohort, with male consumption rising modestly to approximately 4,100 milligrams and female intake increasing slightly to around 3,100 milligrams.
Regarding the older age groups, individuals aged 20-39 had the highest salt consumption overall, with men ingesting 4,500 milligrams and women 3,200 milligrams. This group also demonstrated the most pronounced gender disparity. Although salt intake declined in the 40-60 group, it remained well above the recommended threshold, approximately 4,000 milligrams for males and 3,000 milligrams for females. A further decrease was observed among those over 60, with male consumption dropping to 3,500 milligrams, while female intake MATCHED the 2,500-milligram benchmark. Interestingly, this was the only group where salt consumption for women aligned with the suggested daily intake.