Percent Daily Value (%DV) shows how much one labeled serving contributes toward the Daily Value for a nutrient. FDA’s general guide treats 5% DV or less per serving as low and 20% DV or more as high. Use those thresholds for one nutrient at a time, after checking the serving size. A high number is not automatically bad and a low number is not automatically good: the direction depends on whether you are comparing a nutrient you want more of, such as fiber, or one you may want to limit, such as sodium. [1] [2]
Read the percentage as a contribution, not a grade
FDA defines Daily Values as reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not exceed each day. The %DV is the portion of that reference amount supplied by one serving. For example, a label showing 10% DV for a nutrient means that one labeled serving contributes 10% of its Daily Value. [1]
The percentages in the column do not add vertically to 100 because each row refers to a different nutrient. FDA also explains that the label uses 2,000 calories a day for general nutrition advice. That reference makes labels consistent; it is not a statement that every person needs the same calories or nutrient plan. [2]
Use 5% and 20% in the right direction
As a general guide, FDA considers 5% DV or less per serving low and 20% DV or more high. FDA suggests looking more often for higher %DV in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium, and lower %DV in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. [1] [2]
The middle range is not a failure or a special category you need to name. It simply falls between the low and high guideposts. Whether a number helps with a choice depends on the nutrient, the rest of the day, the foods you will actually eat, and any individualized advice you have received.
Compare equivalent servings before comparing percentages
Imagine two packaged snacks with the same labeled serving weight. Snack A lists 4% DV for fiber and 22% DV for sodium; Snack B lists 18% DV for fiber and 7% DV for sodium. If fiber and sodium are the nutrients you chose to compare, the percentages put both nutrients on a common Daily Value scale. This is an invented arithmetic example, not a ranking of real products or a meal recommendation.
If the serving sizes differ, first decide what amount makes a fair comparison. FDA notes that all nutrient amounts and %DVs apply to the labeled serving, and eating two servings doubles the listed nutrients and percentages. [2] A lower number on a smaller serving may not remain lower when you compare equivalent amounts.
Know when the percentage is missing
Not every row has a %DV. FDA states that trans fat and total sugars do not list one. Protein generally does not display a %DV for foods intended for the general population age four and older unless a protein claim is made; other labeling situations have different requirements. Use the grams and the rest of the label instead of treating a blank space as zero. [2]
This matters when reading total sugars and added sugars. Added sugars may show a %DV, while total sugars does not. Added sugars are included within total sugars, so the rows should not be added together.
Use a quick label-comparison checklist
These steps are an editorial comparison method, not an individualized nutrition prescription.
- Check the serving size and servings per container first.
- Choose one or two nutrients connected to your actual comparison.
- Read 5% DV or less as low and 20% DV or more as high for that nutrient.
- Decide whether you are looking for more or less of the nutrient.
- Adjust the nutrients and %DVs if you are comparing or eating more than one serving.
- Use grams when a nutrient has no %DV, and follow individualized guidance when it applies.
Common questions
Do the Percent Daily Values on a label add up to 100%?
No. Each percentage refers to a different nutrient’s Daily Value, so the column is not meant to total 100%. [2]
Is 15% Daily Value good or bad?
Neither by itself. It falls between FDA’s low and high guideposts. Interpret it according to the nutrient, serving size, your comparison goal, and any individualized advice. [1] [2]
Why does total sugars have no Percent Daily Value?
FDA says no Daily Reference Value has been established for total sugars. Added sugars are listed separately and do have a %DV, while remaining included in the total-sugars grams. [2]
Sources & further reading
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
- FDA: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
Sources checked October 9, 2026. Practical examples and checklists are editorial planning suggestions. This article has not received independent clinical review. Read our standards and business disclosures.
Continue with a useful next step
- Reading a Nutrition Facts label: compare with context
- Make everyday meals easier to plan
- Healthy eating on a budget: make the plan concrete
- Serving size vs portion size: compare packages fairly
- How to compare sodium in packaged foods
- Total sugars vs added sugars
- Explore the food and nutrition topic hub
- Explore the Learning Center
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