Sugar in Fruits in India: Sugars per 100 g in 28 Fruits (IFCT 2017)
This guide answers "which fruit has the least sugar?" for India. It ranks 28 fruits by the sugars measured in the raw fruit per 100 g, using Table 6 (Starch and Individual Sugars) of the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), then shows what a serving we chose holds. It ranks sugar grams in the food. It does not say how a fruit affects blood sugar, which IFCT does not report.
The short answer
By IFCT 2017, yellow-flesh musk melon has the least sugar of the 28 fruits here at 2.36 g per 100 g, then orange-flesh musk melon at 2.99 g, pale green watermelon at 3.00 g, gooseberry (amla) at 3.39 g and sweet lime at 3.42 g. Nine of the 28 are under 5 g. A big apple has 9.53 g, a ripe robusta banana 13.65 g, and dry dates 66.63 g per 100 g of the dried fruit. Our reading: the gap between a melon and a banana is large, but so is the gap between a fresh fruit and a dried one, and how much you eat matters as much as the row, so look at the serving table too.
28 fruits ranked by sugar per 100 g, lowest first
Each row is one IFCT 2017 Table 6 row, group E (fruits): the Total Free Sugars column, and the Fructose (FRUS), Glucose (GLUS) and Sucrose (SUCS) columns that make it up, in g per 100 g edible portion as listed in the book, mean values as printed. In every row here the total equals the sum of those three cells to within 0.02 g, and IFCT shows no maltose for any of them. Rows are raw fruit, except dried apricot, raisins and dates, which are per 100 g of the dried fruit. Where IFCT lists several varieties we use one row and name it, and the grape, apple and mango rows are examples, not the only ones.
| Fruit (IFCT 2017 Table 6 row) | Total free sugars per 100 g | Fructose / glucose / sucrose per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Musk melon, yellow flesh (E046) | 2.36 g | 0.51 / 0.84 / 1.01 g |
| Musk melon, orange flesh (E045) | 2.99 g | 0.62 / 0.71 / 1.65 g |
| Watermelon, pale green (E066) | 3.00 g | 2.57 / 0.21 / 0.22 g |
| Gooseberry (amla) (E021) | 3.39 g | 2.10 / 1.29 / below limit g |
| Sweet lime, pulp (mosambi) (E034) | 3.42 g | 0.70 / 2.60 / 0.12 g |
| Strawberry (E063) | 3.56 g | 1.90 / 1.60 / 0.07 g |
| Watermelon, dark green (sugar baby) (E065) | 3.66 g | 1.91 / 0.31 / 1.44 g |
| Papaya, ripe (E049) | 4.09 g | 2.44 / 1.15 / 0.50 g |
| Guava, white flesh (E028) | 4.10 g | 2.00 / 1.90 / 0.20 g |
| Orange, pulp (E047) | 6.86 g | 2.86 / 1.21 / 2.79 g |
| Pear (E051) | 7.39 g | 3.51 / 2.74 / 1.12 g |
| Black berry (E013) | 7.61 g | 4.47 / 2.50 / 0.64 g |
| Mango, ripe, banganapalli (E036) | 7.77 g | 2.38 / 0.73 / 4.66 g |
| Guava, pink flesh (E029) | 7.79 g | 4.01 / 3.60 / 0.18 g |
| Apple, green (E002) | 8.39 g | 7.19 / 1.08 / 0.12 g |
| Pineapple (E053) | 8.56 g | 1.21 / 3.12 / 4.23 g |
| Fig (E020) | 8.64 g | 5.89 / 1.20 / 1.55 g |
| Apple, big (E001) | 9.53 g | 8.36 / 1.03 / 0.14 g |
| Grapes, seedless, round, green (E026) | 9.60 g | 7.35 / 2.15 / 0.10 g |
| Apple, small (E003) | 9.80 g | 8.52 / 1.17 / 0.11 g |
| Pomegranate, maroon seeds (E055) | 10.87 g | 1.01 / 1.74 / 8.12 g |
| Jackfruit, ripe (E030) | 12.21 g | 4.12 / 3.33 / 4.76 g |
| Sapota (chikoo) (E060) | 12.30 g | 8.60 / 2.85 / 0.85 g |
| Banana, ripe, robusta (E012) | 13.65 g | 6.50 / 4.05 / 3.10 g |
| Apricot, dried (E005) | 25.72 g | 16.52 / 6.98 / 2.21 g |
| Raisins, dried, golden (E058) | 57.12 g | 26.54 / 15.58 / 15.00 g |
| Raisins, dried, black (E057) | 61.51 g | 23.12 / 16.22 / 22.17 g |
| Dates, dry, pale brown (khajoor) (E017) | 66.63 g | 14.90 / 6.15 / 45.58 g |
Only rows measured in 5 or 6 regions are ranked. Rows from 1 to 4 regions are left out: for example avocado (E007, 1 region), custard apple (E016, 1 region) and litchi (E035, 4 regions). The two guavas show why a variety matters: white guava (E028) is 4.10 g and pink guava (E029) 7.79 g, and the two watermelons are 3.00 g and 3.66 g.
Sugar in a serving, with weights we chose
IFCT lists food per 100 g, so a serving needs a weight, and these are ours. Each figure is the value per 100 g times the grams, divided by 100, to the nearest 0.01 g.
| Serving (weights are ours) | Total free sugars |
|---|---|
| 100 g strawberries (E063) | 3.56 g |
| 100 g ripe papaya (E049) | 4.09 g |
| 100 g white guava (E028) | 4.10 g |
| 150 g dark green watermelon (E065) | 5.49 g |
| 100 g orange pulp (E047) | 6.86 g |
| 100 g ripe mango (banganapalli) (E036) | 7.77 g |
| 150 g big apple (E001) | 14.30 g |
| 100 g pomegranate seeds (E055) | 10.87 g |
| 100 g sapota (E060) | 12.30 g |
| 100 g ripe banana (robusta) (E012) | 13.65 g |
| 20 g dried apricot (E005) | 5.14 g |
| 20 g black raisins (E057) | 12.30 g |
| 20 g dry dates (pale brown) (E017) | 13.33 g |
What the numbers say
- Melons, watermelon, amla, sweet lime, strawberry, papaya and white guava are the lowest. Each is under 5 g per 100 g, from 2.36 g for yellow-flesh musk melon to 4.10 g for white guava.
- The same fruit can differ. Pink guava has 7.79 g against 4.10 g for white guava, and the three apple rows run from 8.39 g to 9.80 g.
- The mix of sugars differs. A big apple is mostly fructose (8.36 g of its 9.53 g), pomegranate mostly sucrose (8.12 g of 10.87 g) and banganapalli mango mostly sucrose (4.66 g of 7.77 g).
- Dried fruit is a different scale. Per 100 g, dried apricot has 25.72 g, golden raisins 57.12 g, black raisins 61.51 g and dry dates 66.63 g, so 20 g of black raisins holds about 12.30 g and 20 g of dry dates about 13.33 g.
For calories and fibre in many of the same fruits, see calories and fibre in common Indian fruits; for vitamin C in guava, orange and papaya, see vitamin C-rich foods; for mango, see is mango good for weight loss.
What the guidelines say about fruit sugar
The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 say that every individual should consume at least 100 g of fresh fruits every day (PDF page 66). They separate added sugars from the sugars that are inherently present in foods, such as glucose or fructose in fruits (PDF page 111), and say fresh fruit juices from not more than 100 to 150 g of whole fruits can be consumed occasionally by adults (PDF page 108). This page does not turn the sugar figures into a share of any sugar limit: those limits concern added sugar, which is covered in how much sugar per day for weight loss, and a table of fruits does not tell you what you eat.
What this page leaves out
- Blood sugar and glycaemic index: IFCT 2017 Table 6 reports sugars and starch, not how a fruit affects blood sugar, and we did not read a source that gives it for Indian fruits.
- Juice, smoothies, shakes, cooked or stewed fruit, canned fruit and fruit with sugar added: IFCT 2017 has no rows for them, and juice is a different food (see the guidelines note above).
- Ripeness and variety beyond the rows we picked: IFCT names the row, not the ripeness, and one row is one variety.
- Fibre, protein and vitamins in the same fruits, which are in other tables of the book.
- Whether any fruit suits you: only a doctor or registered dietitian can tell you that.
A note on health
This article is general educational content, not medical advice. It does not say that any fruit is safe or unsafe for diabetes, or that any fruit prevents or treats any condition. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, are pregnant or breastfeeding, follow a restricted diet, have a medical condition or take medicines, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation before changing your diet.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which fruits have the least sugar?
In IFCT 2017 Table 6, per 100 g, the lowest total free sugars among the 28 fruits here are yellow-flesh musk melon (E046) 2.36 g, orange-flesh musk melon (E045) 2.99 g, pale green watermelon (E066) 3.00 g, gooseberry (amla) (E021) 3.39 g, sweet lime (mosambi) (E034) 3.42 g, and strawberry (E063) 3.56 g. Ripe papaya is 4.09 g and white guava 4.10 g. These are raw fruit rows, and IFCT 2017 has no rows for juice or cooked fruit.
Which fruit is best for diabetes?
This page cannot say. IFCT 2017 Table 6 lists sugars and starch per 100 g, and the book does not report glycaemic index or how any fruit changes blood sugar, so grams of sugar alone do not answer it. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, ask a doctor or registered dietitian which fruits suit you and how much.
Is the sugar in fruit the same as added sugar?
The Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 (ICMR-NIN, PDF page 111) define added sugars as sugars and syrups added to foods and drinks during processing and preparation, and describe naturally occurring simple sugars as those inherently present in the food, such as glucose or fructose in fruits. The numbers on this page are the sugars measured in the raw fruit, not sugar added to it.
How much sugar is in a banana, an apple or a mango?
Per 100 g, IFCT 2017 Table 6 lists total free sugars of 13.65 g for a ripe robusta banana (E012), 9.53 g for a big apple (E001) and 7.77 g for a ripe banganapalli mango (E036). By our arithmetic a 150 g big apple holds about 14.30 g and 100 g of banganapalli mango about 7.77 g. The serving weights are ours.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 6 (Starch and Individual Sugars), group E (fruits), Total Free Sugars, Fructose (FRUS), Glucose (GLUS) and Sucrose (SUCS) columns (g), per 100 g edible portion, rows opened and read from the PDF on 24 Oct 2026: E001, E002, E003, E005, E012, E013, E017, E020 (PDF page 217); E021, E026, E028, E029, E030, E034, E036 (PDF page 218); E045, E046, E047, E049, E051, E053, E055, E057, E058, E060 (PDF page 219); E063, E065, E066 (PDF page 220).
- ICMR-NIN, Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024, PDF pages 66, 108 and 111.
The serving weights and the serving figures are NYUS's own arithmetic, and every sentence starting "Our reading" is NYUS opinion, not from a study. Names in brackets are our matching to the IFCT row names.