Household legume consumption looks different depending on the measure. USDA ERS annual domestic availability provides a U.S. per-person proxy, Brazil’s surveys show bean acquisition and reported intake, and India’s household expenditure surveys show the share spent on pulses and pulse products. Together, these measures describe what is available, acquired, reported, or purchased—not one directly comparable global consumption series.
Contents
- How to read these legume statistics
- U.S. pulse availability by type
- The U.S. dry-bean mix in 2024
- Brazilian household bean acquisitions
- Brazilian bean consumption by income quartile
- India’s rural and urban pulse spending
- Rural pulse spending across Indian states
How to read these legume statistics
The U.S. figures are annual domestic availability per person, described by USDA ERS as a proxy for household consumption. They cover dry beans excluding chickpeas, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils. The source is USDA ERS, Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025.
Brazil has two different measures. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported annual per-capita household acquisition, including a combined cereals-and-legumes category. IBGE also reported foods named in a preceding-24-hour food report, with average per-capita grams per day among the population or an income quartile. These results refer to 2017–2018 unless another period is shown. Sources are IBGE’s 2017–2018 POF household-acquisition release and IBGE’s 2017–2018 POF food-consumption release.
India’s figures measure pulses and pulse products as a percentage of total monthly per-capita consumption expenditure. The national comparison covers rural and urban India from 1999–2000 through 2022–2023. The national source is the Survey on Household Consumption Expenditure Fact Sheet: 2022–23; state figures come from NSS Report No. 591.
U.S. pulse availability by type
USDA ERS’s annual domestic-availability proxy shows a changing mix rather than a single stable pattern. The table reports pounds per person for each year and pulse type.
| Year | Dry beans excluding chickpeas | Dry peas | Chickpeas | Lentils |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.18 lb | 3.16 lb | 0.84 lb | 0.43 lb |
| 2021 | 5.99 lb | 0.63 lb | 1.06 lb | 0.23 lb |
| 2022 | 5.57 lb | 4.51 lb | 0.96 lb | 0.98 lb |
| 2023 | 5.22 lb | 3.34 lb | 1.44 lb | 0.48 lb |
| 2024 | 6.80 lb | 2.21 lb | 1.31 lb | 0.93 lb |
In 2020, dry beans excluding chickpeas were estimated at 7.18 pounds per person, compared with 3.16 pounds for dry peas, 0.84 pounds for chickpeas, and 0.43 pounds for lentils. In 2021, the corresponding estimates were 5.99, 0.63, 1.06, and 0.23 pounds. These are availability estimates, not a direct household diary of food eaten.
The 2022 estimates were 5.57 pounds for dry beans excluding chickpeas, 4.51 pounds for dry peas, 0.96 pounds for chickpeas, and 0.98 pounds for lentils. For 2023, USDA ERS estimated 5.22, 3.34, 1.44, and 0.48 pounds, respectively. In 2024, the estimates were 6.80 pounds for dry beans excluding chickpeas, 2.21 pounds for dry peas, 1.31 pounds for chickpeas, and 0.93 pounds for lentils.
For meal planning, the useful distinction is between the broad dry-bean category and the smaller categories. Dry beans excluding chickpeas were the largest listed U.S. availability category in every year shown. Chickpeas were above lentils in 2021, 2023, and 2024, while lentils were above chickpeas in 2022. The figures therefore support type-by-type comparisons, but they should not be treated as forecasts of future household purchases.
The U.S. dry-bean mix in 2024
USDA ERS also broke 2024 U.S. dry-bean availability into named types. Pinto beans accounted for 3.3 pounds per person and black beans for 1.9 pounds per person. In percentage terms, pinto beans represented 48% of dry-bean availability, black beans 28%, and navy beans 6%.
| 2024 dry-bean type | Availability or share |
|---|---|
| Pinto beans | 3.3 lb per person; 48% |
| Black beans | 1.9 lb per person; 28% |
| Navy beans | 6% |
The pounds-per-person values and shares describe the same USDA ERS annual domestic-availability framework used above. The source does not provide a pound-per-person value for navy beans in the supplied figures, so its result is shown only as a share. Pinto beans were the leading named type at 48%, while black beans represented more than one quarter of dry-bean availability.
Brazilian household bean acquisitions
IBGE reported a long-period decline in annual per-capita household acquisition of beans. The measure fell from 12.394 kilograms in 2002–2003 to 9.121 kilograms in 2008–2009, then to 5.908 kilograms in 2017–2018.
| Brazil survey period | Annual per-capita household bean acquisition |
|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | 12.394 kg |
| 2008–2009 | 9.121 kg |
| 2017–2018 | 5.908 kg |
For context within the latest period, IBGE reported annual per-capita household acquisition of 27.757 kilograms for the combined cereals-and-legumes group in 2017–2018. That combined category is broader than beans alone and should not be substituted for the bean figure.
These acquisition results are useful for understanding the household food basket over time. They are not the same as the preceding-24-hour consumption measure reported separately by IBGE. A household acquisition figure can capture food obtained for the household, while the food-report measure describes foods reported by people during the reference day.
Brazilian bean consumption by income quartile
In IBGE’s 2017–2018 preceding-24-hour food report, beans were reported by 60.0% of Brazilians, with average per-capita consumption of 142.2 grams per day. The income-quartile results show both the share reporting beans and the average grams per day.
| Population group | Reported beans | Average per-capita consumption |
|---|---|---|
| All Brazilians | 60.0% | 142.2 g/day |
| Lowest-income quarter | 60.7% | 154.4 g/day |
| Second-income quarter | 64.3% | 159.4 g/day |
| Third-income quarter | 61.7% | 143.7 g/day |
| Highest-income quarter | 51.8% | 102.4 g/day |
The highest-income quarter had the lowest reported-bean share in this table, at 51.8%, and the lowest average, at 102.4 grams per day. The second-income quarter had the highest reported share, at 64.3%, and the highest average, at 159.4 grams per day. The lowest-income quarter recorded 60.7% and 154.4 grams per day, while the third-income quarter recorded 61.7% and 143.7 grams per day.
IBGE also separated green/corda beans. In the lowest-income quarter, 7.8% reported them and average per-capita consumption was 18.6 grams per day. The second-income quarter recorded 3.9% and 8.0 grams per day; the third-income quarter recorded 2.0% and 3.4 grams per day; and the highest-income quarter recorded 1.4% and 2.3 grams per day.
Bean preparations were reported by 13.8% of the lowest-income quarter, with average per-capita consumption of 34.7 grams per day. This preparation result is a separate reported category and should not be added to the general bean figures.
India’s rural and urban pulse spending
India’s national expenditure series shows the share of total monthly per-capita consumption expenditure devoted to pulses and pulse products. Rural India’s share was 3.81% in 1999–2000, 2.97% in 2004–2005, 3.19% in 2009–2010, 2.76% in 2011–2012, and 1.77% in 2022–2023.
Urban India’s corresponding shares were 2.84%, 2.04%, 2.37%, 1.93%, and 1.21% across those same periods. The rural and urban series are summarized below.
| Survey period | Rural India | Urban India |
|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 3.81% | 2.84% |
| 2004–2005 | 2.97% | 2.04% |
| 2009–2010 | 3.19% | 2.37% |
| 2011–2012 | 2.76% | 1.93% |
| 2022–2023 | 1.77% | 1.21% |
The reported spending share was higher in rural India than urban India in every listed survey period. In 2022–2023, pulses and pulse products represented 1.77% of rural monthly per-capita consumption expenditure and 1.21% of urban expenditure. These percentages describe budget composition, not the physical quantity of pulses purchased or consumed.
Rural pulse spending across Indian states
The 2022–2023 NSS results also show differences among selected Indian states’ rural households. Pulses and pulse products accounted for 3.15% of monthly per-capita consumption expenditure in rural Chhattisgarh, 2.02% in rural Bihar, 1.74% in rural Andhra Pradesh, 1.67% in rural Gujarat, and 1.61% in rural Assam.
| State, rural households | Pulse spending share |
|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh | 3.15% |
| Bihar | 2.02% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1.74% |
| Gujarat | 1.67% |
| Assam | 1.61% |
Among these five supplied state results, Chhattisgarh had the largest reported share and Assam the smallest. The figures are state-level rural expenditure shares for 2022–2023; they are not quantities, prices, or national averages. For meal-planning comparisons, they provide geographic context for how prominently pulse spending appeared within rural household budgets during that survey period.