Information on consumption of dietary supplements (including fibre and protein) in Australia
These statistics form part of the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) which ran from January 2023 to March 2024. More information on other topics of interest from the survey is available on the NNPAS 2023 page.
Dietary supplements are products intended to provide a nutrient that may be missing from the diet. While supplements cannot replace a balanced diet, a dietary supplement may be recommended for individuals who are pregnant, older or lacking a nutrient in their diet[1].
One in three (33.6% or 8.5 million) people aged 2 years and over took a dietary supplement in 2023, an increase from 28.5% in 2011–12.
Females were more likely to take a supplement than males (38.8% compared to 28.3%) across all adult age groups. Among children aged 2–17 years, the proportion of males and females that took a supplement were similar (19.2% and 18.0%).
Children aged 12–17 years (15.0%) were less likely to take a supplement than any other age group. Among adults, the proportion of people who took supplements increased with age, from one in four (24.5%) people aged 18–29 years to two in four (50.9%) people aged 75 years and over.
In 2023, the proportion of people who took a supplement varied by supplement type:
Vitamin or mineral supplements remain the most common type of supplement consumed among people 2 years and over, increasing from over two in ten (21.9%) people in 2011–12 to three in ten (29.7%) people in 2023.
The two most commonly taken vitamin or mineral supplements in 2023 have also increased over time, with:
Just over one in seven (15.5%) people took a multivitamin or multimineral supplement in 2023. Adult females were more likely to take a multivitamin or multimineral supplement than males in every age group (except those aged 75 years and over where the difference was not significant), while for children aged 2–17 years the proportions for males and females were similar (10.1% and 9.2%).
Children aged 12–17 years (5.8%) were the least likely to take a multivitamin or multimineral supplement of any age group. Among adults, the proportion of people who took a multivitamin or multimineral supplement increased with age, to one in five people aged 65–74 years (21.3%) and 75 years and over (19.7%).
Vitamin D is a hormone that is essential for the body to absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus effectively, which is important for bone health and muscle function. It can be produced by the action of sunlight on skin and is found in selected foods[3]. Vitamin D decreases with age due to factors such as less sun exposure and the body’s reduced ability to produce vitamin D, increasing the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency among older adults. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults, and supplementation may be recommended for older adults or individuals at high risk of osteoporosis to increase bone density and reduce the risk of falls[4]. The National Health Measures Survey 2022–24 reported that one in five (20.6%) adults had a vitamin D deficiency in Australia.
Just under one in ten (9.3%) people took a vitamin D supplement in 2023. Females were more likely to take a vitamin D supplement than males (12.0% compared to 6.6%), with higher consumption among adult females than adult males in every age group. The proportion of people who took a vitamin D supplement also increased with age, from 1.3% of children aged 2–17 years to 22.8% of those aged 75 years and over.
Over one in twenty (6.2%) people aged 2 years and over took an oil supplement in 2023, down from 12.2% in 2011–12. The largest decreases in oil supplement consumption occurred in age groups 30 years and over.
In 2023, males and females were similarly likely to take an oil supplement (5.6% and 6.6%). Adults were more likely to take an oil supplement than children (7.1% compared to 2.6%).
Although not included among the most commonly consumed dietary supplements, protein and sports supplements represent other areas of community interest (for example, among high performance athletes or people who exercise) or nutritional deficiencies[5].
People are generally able to meet their protein needs through their diet[6]. For further analysis on protein as a nutrient, see Food and nutrients.
In 2023, 1.5% of people aged 2 years and over took a protein or amino acid supplement. Males and females were similarly likely to take a protein or amino acid supplement (1.5% and 1.4%). Children aged 2–17 years and adults aged 75 years and over were both less likely to take a protein or amino acid supplement than any other age group (0.4% and 0.3%). The proportion of people aged 18–29, 30–49 and 50–64 years who took a protein or amino acid supplement was similar (2.0%, 1.9% and 1.7%).
Sport supplements can be classified as either a food or medicine, depending on how they are presented for consumption. Sport supplements that are considered to be medicines are regulated as listed medicines by the TGA in Australia[7]. Sport supplements are included in the AUSNUT 2023 classification system under Special dietary foods. This includes sport and protein beverages, meal replacements, and supplementary foods and beverages. For further analysis on Special dietary foods, see Food and nutrients.
See National Nutrition and Physical Activity 2023 data downloads for the full suite of available data. Data relating to supplements can be found in tables:
See National Nutrition and Physical Activity 2023 media release for more information.
Includes:
The data available includes estimates for Australia.
The National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.