Potassium Intake Calculator: Daily Needs

Potassium intake calculator: how much per day

Short answer

The US Adequate Intake for potassium, set by the National Academies in 2019, is 3,400 mg a day for men and 2,600 mg for women from age 19, 2,900 mg in pregnancy and 2,800 mg while breastfeeding (19 and over). No upper limit is set. Food labels still use a Daily Value of 4,700 mg.

Last reviewed 28 October 20262 published sourcesNot medical advice

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Potassium: daily Adequate Intake by age and sex
Age	Female	Male
1–3 years	2,000 mg	2,000 mg
4–8 years	2,300 mg	2,300 mg
9–13 years	2,300 mg	2,500 mg
14–18 years	2,300 mg	3,000 mg
19–30 years	2,600 mg	3,400 mg
31–50 years	2,600 mg	3,400 mg
51–70 years	2,600 mg	3,400 mg
71+ years	2,600 mg	3,400 mg

Age

Female

Male

1–3 years

2,000 mg

4–8 years

2,300 mg

9–13 years

2,300 mg

2,500 mg

14–18 years

2,300 mg

3,000 mg

19–30 years

2,600 mg

3,400 mg

31–50 years

2,600 mg

3,400 mg

51–70 years

2,600 mg

3,400 mg

71+ years

2,600 mg

3,400 mg

Potassium in pregnancy and breastfeeding
Age	Pregnancy	Breastfeeding
14–18 years	2,600 mg	2,500 mg
19–30 years	2,900 mg	2,800 mg
31–50 years	2,900 mg	2,800 mg

Age

Pregnancy

Breastfeeding

14–18 years

2,600 mg

2,500 mg

19–30 years

2,900 mg

2,800 mg

31–50 years

2,900 mg

2,800 mg

Where the numbers come from

In 2019 the National Academies reviewed potassium and sodium and set new Adequate Intakes for potassium. Every potassium value is an Adequate Intake rather than an RDA, and no tolerable upper intake level was set because there was not enough data on a specific harmful effect (NASEM, 2019 (DRI tables)).

US food labels use one Daily Value of 4,700 mg (FDA Daily Values), above any of the 2019 figures.

Related tools

For other minerals, see the magnesium intake calculator and calcium intake calculator. Hydration needs are separate; the water intake calculator covers them.

Common questions

How much potassium do I need a day?

Adult men need 3,400 mg a day and adult women 2,600 mg, according to the Adequate Intakes the National Academies set in 2019. Teenagers need 3,000 mg (boys) and 2,300 mg (girls) at 14–18.

Why is potassium an Adequate Intake, not an RDA?

An RDA needs an estimated average requirement, and the evidence was not strong enough to set one for potassium. An Adequate Intake is believed to cover the needs of healthy people in the group, though the data can't say for what share of them.

Why do food labels say 4,700 mg?

US labels use a single Daily Value of 4,700 mg for potassium, which is higher than the 2019 Adequate Intakes for every age group. So a label's % Daily Value understates how much of your own Adequate Intake a food supplies.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 28 October 2026.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2019. Appendix J: Dietary Reference Intakes Summary Tables. doi.org/10.17226/25353

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels. Content current as of 5 March 2024. www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels

Potassium intake calculator: how much per day