In 1993, the European Scientific Committee for Food set population reference intakes (PRI) for iron in milligrams (mg) per day (22):
| Age | Males: mg/day | Females: mg/day |
| 6–12 months | 6 | 6 |
| 1–3 years | 4 | 4 |
| 4–6 years | 4 | 4 |
| 7–10 years | 6 | 6 |
| 11–14 years | 10 | 18 |
| 15–17 years | 13 | 17 |
| 18 years and older | 9 | 15 - 20* |
| Pregnant | - | 30** |
| Breast-feeding | - | 16 |
* To compensate for menstrual iron losses in women of reproductive age.
** To compensate for increased iron need in pregnancy.
The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board has established a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron, based on the prevention of iron deficiency and maintenance of adequate iron stores in individuals eating a mixed diet (11):
| Life Stage | Age | Males: mg/day | Females: mg/day |
| Infants | 0–6 months | 0.27 (AI) | 0.27 (AI) |
| Infants | 7–12 months | 11 | 11 |
| Children | 1–3 years | 7 | 7 |
| Children | 4–8 years | 10 | 10 |
| Children | 9–13 years | 8 | 8 |
| Adolescents | 14–18 years | 11 | 15 |
| Adults 1 | 9-50 years | 8 | 18 |
| Adults | 51 years and older | 8 | 8 |
| Pregnancy | all ages | - | 27 |
| Breast-feeding | 18 years and younger | - | 10 |
| Breast-feeding | 19 years and older | - | 9 |
As the estimated bioavailability of iron from a vegetarian diet is only 10%, while it is 18% from a mixed diet, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron from a completely vegetarian diet should be adjusted as follows: 14 mg/day for adult men and postmenopausal women, 33 mg/day for premenopausal women, and 26 mg/day for adolescent girls (11).
For a detailed overview of recommended daily intakes (PRIs/RDAs) of vitamins and minerals for adults derived from different countries and organizations see PDF.
