The iron intake of 2--14 year old children living at home is reported. The iron intake of 2--3 year old boys amounts to 7.5 +/- 1.2 mg/day, of girls to 7.1 +/- 1.3 mg/day. The iron intake increases to 13.0 +/- 2.4 mg/day in 12--14 year old boys and to 11.6 +/- 1.6 mg/day in girls. The iron content of the food is 4.7--5.6 mg/1,000 kcal, independent of age and sex. 1/3 of the iron comes from animal foodstuffs, 2/3 from vegetable foodstuffs. After an observation period of at least 4 weeks 50% of the observed children reached their individual mean iron intake.