Overweight in children — all countries

Overweight in children — South Korea

Overweight in children in South Korea in 2020 — 6.2%. Ranked 19 in the world out of 26.

2020 6.2% +1.9 pp vs 2017
World rank 19of 26
Period maximum 9.6%2008
Period minimum 4.3%2017

Trend over time

2003–2020 · % of children under 5

Overweight in children — South Korea, 2003–20204681020032005200720092011201320152017201920202003: 6.2%2008: 9.6%2011: 8%2014: 5.1%2017: 4.3%2020: 6.2%
Change over the period: +0 pp Annual average: 0 pp
Overweight in children — South Korea, by year South Korea All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 6.2
2017 4.3
2014 5.1
2011 8
2008 9.6
2003 6.2

About the indicator

The share of children under five whose weight exceeds the WHO norm for their height by more than two standard deviations. The indicator matters in that it grows at the same time as stunting in the very same countries: a diet of cheap calories produces both the one and the other, and this is the core of the notion of the double burden of malnutrition. Overweight in children used to be considered a problem of rich countries — now it is growing fastest in middle-income countries.

Important: The data come from sample surveys, the years are intermittent. The aggregate by group is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.