Fruit and vegetables are essential components of a healthy diet, providing essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Regular consumption of these foods is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic conditions and certain types of cancer. Moreover, fruit and vegetables play a crucial role in weight management due to their relatively low-calorie density, high water content and fibre, which promote satiety and help control overall calorie intake. However, many EU citizens face barriers to accessing quality meals, including fruit and vegetables, due to financial constraints. The number of people in the EU who cannot afford a proper meal every other day has risen from 33 million in 2018 to nearly 43 million in 2023, meaning that almost 1 out of 10 individuals in the EU are unable to access nutritious meals regularly (Eurostat, 2024[1]). This lack of affordability contributes to the significant health consequences associated with inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, which was linked to an estimated 275 000 deaths in the EU in 2021 (IHME, 2024[2]).
On average across the EU, 60% of the adult population consumed fresh vegetables and 61% consumed fresh fruit at least daily in 2022. Belgium and Italy led in fresh vegetable consumption, with over three‑quarters of their adult populations consuming them at least daily. For fresh fruit consumption, Italy and Portugal topped the list, with over 80% of adults consuming them at least once a day. In contrast, daily fresh vegetable consumption was below 40% in Hungary and Romania, while the prevalence of daily fresh fruit consumption was lowest in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania (Figure 4.14).
Between 2017 and 2022, the proportion of adults consuming fruit daily in the EU declined by 3.6%, while daily fresh vegetable consumption decreased even more by 5.5%. The decline in fruit and vegetable consumption in 2022 may be at least partly attributed to their rising prices. The average price of vegetables in the EU spiked above the general food price index increase in the early and final months of 2022, a factor which may have led consumers to limit their purchases and/or shift towards cheaper alternatives (Eurostat, 2024[3]). Luxembourg and Sweden experienced the largest declines in the prevalence of at least daily fruit consumption, with a decrease of around 20% compared to 2017. Conversely, Croatia (+13%), Hungary (+12%) and the Netherlands (+11%) saw the most significant relative increases in at least daily fruit consumption over the same period. When considering at least daily vegetable consumption, the Netherlands stood out with the highest increase (+21%), while Portugal, Luxembourg and Spain recorded declines of over 20%.
Socio-economic status significantly influences people’s regular consumption of both fresh fruit and vegetables. In 2022, when considering the average of the proportion of the population consuming fruit at least daily and the proportion consuming vegetables at least daily, 67% of adults with higher education levels in the EU reported regular consumption compared to 60% among those with lower education levels. Across EU countries, countries with higher overall daily consumption rates tended to have smaller disparities in consumption by education level. Spain, Slovenia, Malta and Luxembourg had particularly small gaps, with less than 5 percentage points difference in the prevalence of daily consumption between those with the highest and lowest education levels. In contrast, Romania stood out with a gap of nearly 28 percentage points, followed by Bulgaria (23 percentage points), the Slovak Republic and Latvia (19 percentage points) (Figure 4.15). These findings suggest that countries with lower overall consumption of fruit and vegetables also face larger challenges in ensuring equitable access to healthy diets across socio-economic groups.
