The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) provides the only source of nationallyrepresentative data about the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the UK population.
The survey collects information about what people eat and drink. Survey participants also provide blood and urine samples which are analysed for nutrition and health markers.
Explore the latest NDNS results
Use our interactive dashboard to explore results from NDNS.
You can view information about:
food consumption
nutrient intake
nutritional biomarkers
physical activity
survey response rates
Results in the dashboard are weighted to represent the UK population by age, sex and region.
NDNS helps us understand:
what people in the UK eat and drink
whether people are meeting recommendations such as getting enough fibre, vitamins and minerals and not having too much salt or sugar in their diet
other health markers in blood and urine, such as cholesterol and sodium
how diet and nutritional health differ by age and sex and socio-economic characteristics like income
how the UK’s diet and nutritional health change over time
The findings from NDNS provide evidence for government policy and help track progress against public health nutrition goals.
NDNS began in 1992. It has run as a continuous UK-wide survey since 2008.
The current phase runs from 2024 to 2029.
Around 4,000 people are being recruited each year, including children from 12 months of age and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
The survey is funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and the Food Standards Agency.
NDNS is carried out by the Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS) Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge and the National Centre for Social Research.
Information for people who have been invited to take part.
Methods, documentation, datasets and biological samples
Read the latest government report, find results from earlier survey years and explore research using NDNS data.
People are selected to take part from households across the UK. Taking part may include:
an online questionnaire
recording food and drink for up to four days
providing information about physical activity
measurements such as height and weight
providing blood and urine samples
NDNS is a cross-sectional survey that aims to be representative of the UK population.
Every year, a sample of different people across the UK are recruited to take part, allowing the survey to build a picture of diet and nutritional health across the population.
Published NDNS datasets are available through the UK Data Service.
Researchers can also apply to use stored blood and urine through the NDNS Bioresource.
