Vitamin & Mineral % DV Rounding Rules
Every other % Daily Value on your label rounds to the nearest whole percent. Vitamins and minerals don't. They use their own 4-tier scale — and getting it wrong is the single most common rounding mistake on Nutrition Facts panels.
Part of the full FDA Rounding Rules guide. This page goes deep on just the vitamin/mineral % DV rule.
The 4 Tiers
Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv), vitamin and mineral % Daily Value rounds according to which range the raw, unrounded percentage falls into:
| Raw % DV | Round to |
|---|---|
| Below 2% | Declare as 0% |
| 2% up to 10% | Nearest 2% |
| Above 10% up to 50% | Nearest 5% |
| Above 50% | Nearest 10% |
The middle tier (above 10% up to 50%) is where most labels go wrong. It's the widest range and the easiest to mistake for "nearest whole percent." A raw value of 23% doesn't round to 23% — it rounds to 25%.
Why This Is Different From Fat, Sodium, or Carbs
Nutrients like total fat, sodium, and total carbohydrate round their % DV to the nearest whole percent, calculated from the actual (unrounded) amount. Vitamins and minerals are the one category that doesn't follow that pattern — the diagram below shows the contrast directly.
Try It Yourself
Select "Vitamin/Mineral % DV" from the dropdown and enter a raw percentage to see exactly how it rounds.
Try It: Round Any Value Instantly
Enter a value above to see the FDA-rounded result.
Worked Examples
Iron
23% DV → 25%
Falls in the 10–50% tier, so it rounds to the nearest 5% — not 23%.
Vitamin D
7% DV → 8%
Falls in the 2–10% tier, so it rounds to the nearest 2%.
Calcium
61% DV → 60%
Above 50%, so it rounds to the nearest 10% — the widest increment.
Potassium
1.3% DV → 0%
Below the 2% floor, so it's declared as 0% rather than rounded up.
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong
Treating vitamin/mineral % DV like any other nutrient and rounding 23% to the nearest whole percent (23%).
Right
Checking which tier the raw percentage falls into first, then applying that tier's increment (23% → 25%).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't vitamins and minerals round to the nearest 1% like fat or sodium % DV?
The FDA set a separate rounding scale for vitamins and minerals under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv). Nutrients like fat, sodium, and carbohydrates round their % DV to the nearest whole percent. Vitamins and minerals use four increment tiers instead — 2%, 5%, or 10% depending on the range — because their % DV is meant to communicate a rough nutritional contribution, not a precise figure.
What are the exact vitamin/mineral % DV rounding tiers?
Below 2% DV, declare 0%. From 2% up to 10% DV, round to the nearest 2%. Above 10% up to 50% DV, round to the nearest 5%. Above 50% DV, round to the nearest 10%.
Does this apply to Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium specifically?
Yes — these four are the mandatory vitamin/mineral declarations on the current Nutrition Facts label, and all four follow this tiered scale. Any other vitamin or mineral you voluntarily declare (like Vitamin C or Zinc) follows the same rule.
What if my calculated % DV is exactly on a tier boundary, like 10% or 50%?
Use the calculator above to check — boundary values follow standard rounding (round half up) within whichever tier they fall into. For example, a raw value of 10% DV stays in the "up to 10%" tier and rounds to the nearest 2%, landing on 10%.
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