Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — Denmark

Obesity in adults in Denmark in 2024 — 14.3%. Ranked 52 in the world out of 199. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 8.3 pp.

2024 14.3% +0.2 pp vs 2023
World rank 52of 199
Period maximum 14.3%2024
Period minimum 6%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — Denmark, 1980–202457.51012.51519801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 6%1981: 6.2%1982: 6.4%1983: 6.6%1984: 6.8%1985: 7%1986: 7.2%1987: 7.4%1988: 7.6%1989: 7.8%1990: 8%1991: 8.2%1992: 8.5%1993: 8.7%1994: 9%1995: 9.2%1996: 9.5%1997: 9.7%1998: 10%1999: 10.3%2000: 10.6%2001: 10.8%2002: 11.1%2003: 11.4%2004: 11.6%2005: 11.8%2006: 12%2007: 12.2%2008: 12.4%2009: 12.5%2010: 12.6%2011: 12.6%2012: 12.7%2013: 12.8%2014: 12.9%2015: 13%2016: 13.1%2017: 13.2%2018: 13.3%2019: 13.5%2020: 13.6%2021: 13.8%2022: 14%2023: 14.1%2024: 14.3%
Change over the period: +8.3 pp Annual average: 0.19 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

Denmark 14.3%
World computed 16.1%
Europe & Central Asia computed 21.1%
Northern Europe computed 24.8%
High-income countries computed 24.8%
Obesity in adults — Denmark, by year Denmark All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 14.3 +0.2 pp
2023 14.1 +0.2 pp
2022 14 +0.2 pp
2021 13.8 +0.2 pp
2020 13.6 +0.2 pp
2019 13.5 +0.1 pp
2018 13.3 +0.1 pp
2017 13.2 +0.1 pp
2016 13.1 +0.1 pp
2015 13 +0.1 pp
2014 12.9 +0.1 pp
2013 12.8 +0.1 pp
2012 12.7 +0.1 pp
2011 12.6 +0.1 pp
2010 12.6 +0.1 pp
2009 12.5 +0.1 pp
2008 12.4 +0.1 pp
2007 12.2 +0.2 pp
2006 12 +0.2 pp
2005 11.8 +0.2 pp
2004 11.6 +0.2 pp
2003 11.4 +0.3 pp
2002 11.1 +0.3 pp
2001 10.8 +0.3 pp
2000 10.6 +0.3 pp
1999 10.3 +0.3 pp
1998 10 +0.3 pp
1997 9.7 +0.3 pp
1996 9.5 +0.3 pp
1995 9.2 +0.3 pp
1994 9 +0.2 pp
1993 8.7 +0.2 pp
1992 8.5 +0.2 pp
1991 8.2 +0.2 pp
1990 8 +0.2 pp
1989 7.8 +0.2 pp
1988 7.6 +0.2 pp
1987 7.4 +0.2 pp
1986 7.2 +0.2 pp
1985 7 +0.2 pp
1984 6.8 +0.2 pp
1983 6.6 +0.2 pp
1982 6.4 +0.2 pp
1981 6.2 +0.2 pp
1980 6

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.