Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — High-income countries

Obesity in adults in high-income countries in 2024 — 24.8%. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 14.5 pp.

2024 24.8% +0.2 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 24.8%2024
Period minimum 10.3%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — High-income countries, 1980–20241015202519801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 10.3%1981: 10.5%1982: 10.8%1983: 11%1984: 11.3%1985: 11.5%1986: 11.8%1987: 12.1%1988: 12.3%1989: 12.7%1990: 13%1991: 13.3%1992: 13.7%1993: 14.1%1994: 14.5%1995: 14.9%1996: 15.3%1997: 15.8%1998: 16.3%1999: 16.8%2000: 17.3%2001: 17.8%2002: 18.4%2003: 18.9%2004: 19.4%2005: 19.8%2006: 20.3%2007: 20.8%2008: 21.2%2009: 21.5%2010: 21.9%2011: 22.2%2012: 22.4%2013: 22.7%2014: 22.9%2015: 23.2%2016: 23.4%2017: 23.6%2018: 23.8%2019: 23.9%2020: 24.1%2021: 24.2%2022: 24.4%2023: 24.6%2024: 24.8%
Change over the period: +14.5 pp Annual average: 0.33 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 24.8%
World computed 16.1%
Obesity in adults — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 24.8 +0.2 pp
2023 24.6 +0.2 pp
2022 24.4 +0.2 pp
2021 24.2 +0.1 pp
2020 24.1 +0.2 pp
2019 23.9 +0.2 pp
2018 23.8 +0.2 pp
2017 23.6 +0.2 pp
2016 23.4 +0.2 pp
2015 23.2 +0.2 pp
2014 22.9 +0.2 pp
2013 22.7 +0.3 pp
2012 22.4 +0.3 pp
2011 22.2 +0.3 pp
2010 21.9 +0.3 pp
2009 21.5 +0.4 pp
2008 21.2 +0.4 pp
2007 20.8 +0.4 pp
2006 20.3 +0.5 pp
2005 19.8 +0.5 pp
2004 19.4 +0.5 pp
2003 18.9 +0.5 pp
2002 18.4 +0.5 pp
2001 17.8 +0.5 pp
2000 17.3 +0.5 pp
1999 16.8 +0.5 pp
1998 16.3 +0.5 pp
1997 15.8 +0.5 pp
1996 15.3 +0.5 pp
1995 14.9 +0.4 pp
1994 14.5 +0.4 pp
1993 14.1 +0.4 pp
1992 13.7 +0.4 pp
1991 13.3 +0.3 pp
1990 13 +0.3 pp
1989 12.7 +0.3 pp
1988 12.3 +0.3 pp
1987 12.1 +0.3 pp
1986 11.8 +0.3 pp
1985 11.5 +0.3 pp
1984 11.3 +0.2 pp
1983 11 +0.2 pp
1982 10.8 +0.2 pp
1981 10.5 +0.2 pp
1980 10.3

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.