Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — Belgium

Obesity in adults in Belgium in 2024 — 20.8%. Ranked 84 in the world out of 199. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 10.1 pp.

2024 20.8% +0.3 pp vs 2023
World rank 84of 199
Period maximum 20.8%2024
Period minimum 10.8%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — Belgium, 1980–20241015202519801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 10.8%1981: 10.9%1982: 11%1983: 11.2%1984: 11.3%1985: 11.4%1986: 11.6%1987: 11.7%1988: 11.8%1989: 12%1990: 12.2%1991: 12.3%1992: 12.5%1993: 12.7%1994: 13%1995: 13.2%1996: 13.4%1997: 13.7%1998: 14%1999: 14.3%2000: 14.6%2001: 14.9%2002: 15.3%2003: 15.6%2004: 15.9%2005: 16.2%2006: 16.5%2007: 16.8%2008: 17%2009: 17.3%2010: 17.5%2011: 17.6%2012: 17.8%2013: 18%2014: 18.2%2015: 18.4%2016: 18.6%2017: 18.8%2018: 19.1%2019: 19.3%2020: 19.6%2021: 19.9%2022: 20.2%2023: 20.5%2024: 20.8%
Change over the period: +10.1 pp Annual average: 0.23 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Belgium

Belgium 20.8%
World computed 16.1%
Europe & Central Asia computed 21.1%
Western Europe computed 16.3%
High-income countries computed 24.8%
Obesity in adults — Belgium, by year Belgium All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 20.8 +0.3 pp
2023 20.5 +0.3 pp
2022 20.2 +0.3 pp
2021 19.9 +0.3 pp
2020 19.6 +0.3 pp
2019 19.3 +0.3 pp
2018 19.1 +0.2 pp
2017 18.8 +0.2 pp
2016 18.6 +0.2 pp
2015 18.4 +0.2 pp
2014 18.2 +0.2 pp
2013 18 +0.2 pp
2012 17.8 +0.2 pp
2011 17.6 +0.2 pp
2010 17.5 +0.2 pp
2009 17.3 +0.2 pp
2008 17 +0.3 pp
2007 16.8 +0.3 pp
2006 16.5 +0.3 pp
2005 16.2 +0.3 pp
2004 15.9 +0.3 pp
2003 15.6 +0.3 pp
2002 15.3 +0.3 pp
2001 14.9 +0.3 pp
2000 14.6 +0.3 pp
1999 14.3 +0.3 pp
1998 14 +0.3 pp
1997 13.7 +0.3 pp
1996 13.4 +0.3 pp
1995 13.2 +0.2 pp
1994 13 +0.2 pp
1993 12.7 +0.2 pp
1992 12.5 +0.2 pp
1991 12.3 +0.2 pp
1990 12.2 +0.2 pp
1989 12 +0.2 pp
1988 11.8 +0.1 pp
1987 11.7 +0.1 pp
1986 11.6 +0.1 pp
1985 11.4 +0.1 pp
1984 11.3 +0.1 pp
1983 11.2 +0.1 pp
1982 11 +0.1 pp
1981 10.9 +0.1 pp
1980 10.8

Western Europe, 2024

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of people aged 18 and over with a body mass index of 30 kg/m² and above. The series has been kept since 1980 and shows one of the fastest changes in the health of populations in the whole history of observation: in most countries the share has grown two- to threefold. The top of the ranking is held not by rich countries, as one might expect, but by the islands of Oceania and the Persian Gulf, where the shift to purchased food happened within one generation.

Important: The aggregate by country group is weighted by the whole population rather than the adult one: the share of adults differs between countries by a factor of about 1.5, so young countries get a slightly larger weight than they should.

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