This study was conducted to investigate the nutritional intake of people in rural areas using 24-hour recall method. Kyungki Yeoju, Kangwon Whengsung, Chungbuk Chungju, Kyungnam Ulju, and Junbuk Jungup were selected for this study. The results were as follows 1) The mean daily energy intake was 2055.7kcal for male, 1703.2kcal for female. Fat intake were 43.0g for male, 32.7g for (female and protein intake was 74.5g for male 61.5g for female. Nutrient intake of Ulju residents were the highest and that of Whengsung and Yeoju residents were the lowest. Nutrient intake decreased significantly in elderly over 70 years. 2) Nutrients consumed below 80% of Korean RDA were Ca, Vit A, riboflavin and Vit E. Ulju residents consumed significantly higher protein, Ca, P compared to other area residents. P, Fe, Vit C intake of adults male were significantly higher than those of elderly over 80 years. Vit A, thiamin and riboflavin consumption of adults female were also significantly higher than those of elderly over 80 years. Ca, Vit A, riboflavin and Vit I were consumed below the Korean RDA in both male and female. 3) Average CPF ratio of energy intake was 69.2 : 14 : 16.8. Energy intake ratio from carbohydrate was significantly lower in Ulju residents compared to Yeoju and Jungup residents. Energy intake ratio from protein was significantly higher in Ulju area than the other areas. Carbohydrate dependency was increased with age, meanwhile fat dependency was decreased with age. 4) The mean adequacy ratio(MAR), an index of overall dietary quality, were significantly different among areas : the highest was 0.81 in Ulju, the lowest was 0.65 in Whengsung. Adults of 20-49 years showed the highest MAR of 0.76 and the lowest MAR was 0.52 in over 80 years group. The indexes of nutritional quality(INQ) was higher in 01;u area than the other areas, and INQ showed the tendency to decrease with increasing age. Especially, there were significant decrease in INQ of all nutrients except Vit A with age. Based on these results, it is evident that people in rural area did not consume enough nutrients. Specially, dietary intake of Vit A, Vit B$_2$, Vit E and Ca were not adequate. (Korean J Nutrition 31(9) : 1468-1480, 1998)