The % Daily Value (%DV) on a Nutrition Facts label tells you how much of a day’s reference amount of a nutrient one serving provides. This percent daily value calculator does the math for any nutrient with an FDA Daily Value. It shows the %DV exactly as it should appear on a label, the number before rounding, the Daily Value it used, and the paragraph of 21 CFR 101.9 that sets the rule.
% Daily Value Calculator
Pick a nutrient and enter the amount in one serving. You get the %DV as it should appear on a Nutrition Facts label, the Daily Value used, and the rule behind the rounding.
All Daily Values for adults and children 4 years and older
Nutrient
Daily Value
%DV rounding
Source
Educational aid, not a compliance certification. Daily Values are those for adults and children 4 years and older in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) and (c)(9). Foods for infants, children 1 to 3 years, and pregnant or lactating women use different values, and Supplement Facts labels follow 21 CFR 101.36.
The calculator needs JavaScript. The Daily Values table in the article below lists every value it uses.
For example, a serving with 160 mg of sodium: 160 ÷ 2,300 × 100 = 6.96%, which is declared as 7%.
The part people get wrong is the rounding, because it isn’t the same for every nutrient:
Fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, added sugars and protein are rounded to the nearest whole percent (21 CFR 101.9(d)(7)(ii)).
Vitamins and minerals are rounded in steps: to the nearest 2% up to and including 10%, the nearest 5% above 10% up to and including 50%, and the nearest 10% above 50% (21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iii)).
So 8 mg of iron is 44.4% of the 18 mg Daily Value, but the label says 45%. And 235 mg of potassium is exactly 5.0% of 4,700 mg, which rounds to 6%, because 5 falls halfway between the 2% steps of 4 and 6. Both examples come from FDA’s own sample label.
Declared amount or actual amount?
For the macronutrients, FDA lets you divide either the amount declared on the label (already rounded) or the actual, unrounded amount by the Daily Value (101.9(d)(7)(ii)). The two can give different answers. With 8.3 g of fat, the label says 8 g; 8 ÷ 78 is 10%, while 8.3 ÷ 78 is 11%. Both are allowed. Pick one method and use it consistently. The calculator shows both when they differ.
Protein is a special case
Protein %DV is optional unless the label makes a protein claim (or the food is for infants or children under 4). If you show it, you must first correct the protein for quality. Multiply grams of protein by the food’s protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS, capped at 1.0), then divide by 50 g (101.9(c)(7)(ii)-(iii)). Select “Protein” in the calculator and enter the PDCAAS.
Below 2% for vitamins and minerals
When a vitamin or mineral provides less than 2% of its Daily Value, the label may show it as zero. It may also mark it with an asterisk and the statement “Contains less than 2 percent of the Daily Value of this (these) nutrient (nutrients)”. For vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium, a third option is to leave the nutrient off and add “Not a significant source of …” at the bottom of the table (101.9(c)(8)(iii)).
Daily Values for Adults and Children 4 Years and Older
These are the values the calculator uses. They come from the 2016 final rule and have applied to labels since 2020. The macronutrient values (called DRVs) are in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9). The vitamin and mineral values (called RDIs) are in 101.9(c)(8)(iv). Protein’s DRV is in 101.9(c)(7)(iii).
Nutrient
Daily Value
Total fat
78 g
Saturated fat
20 g
Cholesterol
300 mg
Sodium
2,300 mg
Total carbohydrate
275 g
Dietary fiber
28 g
Added sugars
50 g
Protein
50 g
Vitamin D
20 mcg
Calcium
1,300 mg
Iron
18 mg
Potassium
4,700 mg
Vitamin A
900 mcg RAE
Vitamin C
90 mg
Vitamin E
15 mg alpha-tocopherol
Vitamin K
120 mcg
Thiamin
1.2 mg
Riboflavin
1.3 mg
Niacin
16 mg NE
Vitamin B6
1.7 mg
Folate
400 mcg DFE
Vitamin B12
2.4 mcg
Biotin
30 mcg
Pantothenic acid
5 mg
Phosphorus
1,250 mg
Iodine
150 mcg
Magnesium
420 mg
Zinc
11 mg
Selenium
55 mcg
Copper
0.9 mg
Manganese
2.3 mg
Chromium
35 mcg
Molybdenum
45 mcg
Chloride
2,300 mg
Choline
550 mg
Two nutrients on every label have no Daily Value: trans fat and total sugars. Their %DV column is left blank. Added sugars do have one (50 g), which is why “Includes 10g Added Sugars” shows a percentage and the Total Sugars line above it doesn’t.
What Changed From the Old Daily Values
If you are working from an older textbook or label, several values have moved. Sodium went from 2,400 mg to 2,300 mg. Dietary fiber went from 25 g to 28 g. Total fat went from 65 g to 78 g, and total carbohydrate from 300 g to 275 g. Vitamin D is now declared in micrograms (20 mcg) instead of IU, and added sugars got a Daily Value for the first time. A %DV worked out with the old numbers will be wrong on a current label. For the full story, see how the FDA changed the Nutrition Facts label.
If your vitamin D figure is in IU, switch the unit in the calculator: 1 mcg of vitamin D equals 40 IU, so 100 IU is 2.5 mcg. The label must show micrograms; the IU amount may be added in parentheses.
Using %DV as a Shopper
FDA’s rule of thumb for reading labels is that 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high. Look for low %DV for saturated fat, sodium and added sugars, and high %DV for fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium. The calculator tells you which band a serving falls into. Our guide on how to read Nutrition Facts labels correctly has more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Daily Value of sodium?
2,300 mg per day for adults and children 4 years and older (21 CFR 101.9(c)(9)). A serving with 460 mg of sodium is 20% DV.
Why doesn’t my %DV add up to what I calculated?
Usually because of rounding. Vitamins and minerals jump in 2%, 5% or 10% steps, and the macronutrients may be based on the rounded amount on the label rather than the lab value. The calculator shows the unrounded figure and the rule used, so you can see where the difference comes from.
Are these Daily Values the same for children?
They apply to adults and children 4 years and older. Foods made specifically for infants through 12 months or children 1 through 3 years use separate values in the same regulation. Foods for pregnant or lactating women do too.
Does this work for Supplement Facts labels?
The Daily Values are the same, but Supplement Facts panels follow 21 CFR 101.36, which has its own format and rules, including “Less than 1%” for some nutrients. This calculator follows the Nutrition Facts rules in 101.9.
Link to This Tool
Educators and health departments are welcome to link here. A plain-text citation for reading lists and handouts:
