“Eating too salty” is easy to say and hard to measure. The World Health Organization recommends that adults have less than 2,000mg of sodium a day, or less than 5g of salt — just under a teaspoon. Yet in 2021 the global average for adults was 4,278mg of sodium (11g of salt). This sets out the WHO fact sheet “Salt reduction”.
1. Adults: under 5g of salt = under 2,000mg of sodium a day. Just under a teaspoon.
2. The world eats more than twice that. 4,278mg of sodium, 11g of salt, in 2021 — about 2.1 times the recommendation (our arithmetic).
3. About 1.7 million deaths in 2023 were associated with too much sodium. Raised blood pressure, and with it cardiovascular disease, is the first route.
The numbers — WHO fact sheet
| Item | Sodium | Salt |
|---|---|---|
| Adult recommendation | Under 2,000mg a day | Under 5g a day (just under a teaspoon) |
| Aged 2 to 15 | Adult figure adjusted down for energy needs | Same |
| Global adult average (2021) | 4,278mg | 11g |
The sheet gives no specific figure for ages 2 to 15; it says only to adjust the adult figure down according to energy requirements.
Turning the sodium on a label into salt
Since the WHO treats 2,000mg of sodium and 5g of salt as the same amount, multiplying sodium by 2.5 gives roughly the salt (our arithmetic). Nutrition labels often list sodium, so the conversion is handy.
| Sodium on the label (example) | As salt (our arithmetic) | Against 2,000mg a day |
|---|---|---|
| 500mg | About 1.25g | A quarter |
| 1,000mg | About 2.5g | Half |
| 2,000mg | About 5g | The whole day |
The sodium values are examples to show the arithmetic. For a particular product, read the nutrition label on the pack.
Too much — what the WHO lists
- Raised blood pressure — increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Gastric cancer
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis, Ménière’s disease, kidney disease
Warning signs of stroke, linked to blood pressure, are in stroke warning signs, and obesity cut-offs in BMI and waist size.
What the WHO adds
- Iodized salt — all salt that is consumed should be iodized. Eating less and iodizing can go together (our reading).
- Potassium-containing salt substitutes — the WHO suggests replacing regular table salt with lower-sodium substitutes that contain potassium.
- The global target — the 2013 World Health Assembly set a 30% relative reduction in salt intake by 2025, and a 2019 decision extended the timeline to 2030.
Whether potassium substitutes suit everyone (for example people with kidney disease) is not in the material read here. If you take regular medication, ask your clinician first (our view).
Checklist
- ☐ The line is 5g of salt, 2,000mg of sodium a day
- ☐ Sodium on the label × 2.5 ≈ salt
- ☐ A meal with 1,000mg of sodium is half the day
- ☐ Lower for children than for adults
- ☐ Use iodized salt
Questions that remain
How much do Koreans eat?
The sheet gives only the global average. Korean intake statistics were not checked in the original and are not given.
Is sea salt or low-salt soy sauce different?
The WHO material does not compare types of salt. We did not check.
The same WHO diet material gives a sugar line too — free sugars under 10% of daily energy (how much sugar a day).
Sources
- WHO — Salt reduction (Fact sheet) — original (dated 11 May 2026; checked 12 October 2026). 2,000mg sodium and 5g salt, ages 2 to 15, 4,278mg and 11g in 2021, 1.7 million in 2023, health effects, iodized salt, potassium substitutes, 30% by 2025 extended to 2030.
- Not read. Korean intake statistics and Korean agencies’ recommendations; who should avoid potassium substitutes.
- Our arithmetic. About 2.1 times, sodium × 2.5, the example table.
Where to check further
- The nutrition label on the pack — sodium in mg.
- Your clinician if you are treated for blood pressure or kidney problems.
Written 12 October 2026. The content sets out the WHO original; conversions and arithmetic are ours. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment.