Analyzing diet cost and affordability: A dataset from Fill the Nutrient Gap analyses (2015–2021)

Between 2015 and 2021, the World Food Programme (WFP) carried out “Fill the Nutrient Gap” (FNG) analyses in 37 countries. Apart from a few early FNG analyses, each analysis calculated the cost of energy-sufficient diets, staple-adjusted nutrient-adequate diets, and the non-affordability of the latter at the subnational level during a specific period decided by in-country stakeholders and data availability. In 2021–2022, all FNG output data were compiled into one dataset, which is provided as an online supplement to this paper. Here, we describe the parameters and data used in these FNG analyses and the process for standardizing diet costs for time (to January 2020) and in currency (PPP USD and MER USD). The objective of this paper was to provide the dataset utilized in the other papers in this GFS special issue on diet cost and affordability analyses conducted as part of FNG analyses by WFP and partners, and to provide a description of the considerations and methods employed for compiling this dataset. • The paper presents a novel dataset on the cost and non-affordability of diets for sex- and age-specific individuals from subnational FNG analyses (2015 to 2021). • This paper is a methodological foundation for papers in this GFS special issue on FNG diet cost and affordability analyses. • When analysing diet costs, the choice to use either market exchange rates or purchasing power parities greatly impacts estimates. • Different household combinations of individuals will produce varying per capita household averages.