Calories in papaya (pawpaw)

Raw. 43 kcal (180 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

Papaya, called pawpaw in Australia, is a tropical fruit with 43 kcal (180 kJ) per 100 g, mostly from natural sugars. It is about 88% water. The orange flesh is notably rich in vitamin C, with 61 mg per 100 g, and it also supplies folate and some vitamin A from carotenoids. Fat and protein are negligible, and the fruit contains the enzyme papain, used as a meat tenderiser.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• One cup of papaya pieces (145 g) has about 62 kcal / 261 kJ and around 88 mg of vitamin C, close to the full 90 mg Daily Value.
• A small papaya (157 g) is about 68 kcal / 282 kJ. Many papayas in shops are much larger, so weighing the flesh gives a more accurate count.
• In North America, "pawpaw" can also mean a different native fruit (Asimina triloba), so the name is not interchangeable everywhere.
• Canned papaya in heavy syrup, drained, is 206 kcal per 100 g in USDA data, nearly five times the fresh fruit.

Converting these figures

One 1 cup, pieces of papaya is 62 kcal, which is 261 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 556 g of papaya to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.