Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — European Union

Obesity in adults in the European Union in 2024 — 18.6%. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 7.3 pp.

2024 18.6% +0 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 18.6%2024
Period minimum 11.3%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — European Union, 1980–202410121416182019801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 11.3%1981: 11.4%1982: 11.5%1983: 11.6%1984: 11.7%1985: 11.8%1986: 12%1987: 12.1%1988: 12.2%1989: 12.4%1990: 12.5%1991: 12.7%1992: 12.9%1993: 13.1%1994: 13.4%1995: 13.6%1996: 13.9%1997: 14.2%1998: 14.6%1999: 14.9%2000: 15.2%2001: 15.6%2002: 16%2003: 16.3%2004: 16.7%2005: 17%2006: 17.3%2007: 17.6%2008: 17.8%2009: 18%2010: 18.2%2011: 18.3%2012: 18.4%2013: 18.4%2014: 18.5%2015: 18.5%2016: 18.6%2017: 18.6%2018: 18.6%2019: 18.6%2020: 18.6%2021: 18.6%2022: 18.6%2023: 18.6%2024: 18.6%
Change over the period: +7.3 pp Annual average: 0.17 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

European Union 18.6%
World computed 16.1%
Obesity in adults — European Union, by year European Union All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 18.6 +0 pp
2023 18.6 +0 pp
2022 18.6 +0 pp
2021 18.6 −0 pp
2020 18.6 +0 pp
2019 18.6 +0 pp
2018 18.6 +0 pp
2017 18.6 +0 pp
2016 18.6 +0 pp
2015 18.5 +0 pp
2014 18.5 +0 pp
2013 18.4 +0.1 pp
2012 18.4 +0.1 pp
2011 18.3 +0.1 pp
2010 18.2 +0.2 pp
2009 18 +0.2 pp
2008 17.8 +0.2 pp
2007 17.6 +0.3 pp
2006 17.3 +0.3 pp
2005 17 +0.3 pp
2004 16.7 +0.3 pp
2003 16.3 +0.4 pp
2002 16 +0.4 pp
2001 15.6 +0.4 pp
2000 15.2 +0.4 pp
1999 14.9 +0.3 pp
1998 14.6 +0.3 pp
1997 14.2 +0.3 pp
1996 13.9 +0.3 pp
1995 13.6 +0.3 pp
1994 13.4 +0.2 pp
1993 13.1 +0.2 pp
1992 12.9 +0.2 pp
1991 12.7 +0.2 pp
1990 12.5 +0.2 pp
1989 12.4 +0.1 pp
1988 12.2 +0.1 pp
1987 12.1 +0.1 pp
1986 12 +0.1 pp
1985 11.8 +0.1 pp
1984 11.7 +0.1 pp
1983 11.6 +0.1 pp
1982 11.5 +0.1 pp
1981 11.4 +0.1 pp
1980 11.3

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.