Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — Central America

Obesity in adults in Central America in 2024 — 35.7%. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 27.7 pp.

2024 35.7% +0.7 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 35.7%2024
Period minimum 8%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — Central America, 1980–202401020304019801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 8%1981: 8.4%1982: 8.9%1983: 9.4%1984: 9.9%1985: 10.4%1986: 10.9%1987: 11.5%1988: 12%1989: 12.6%1990: 13.2%1991: 13.9%1992: 14.5%1993: 15.2%1994: 15.8%1995: 16.5%1996: 17.2%1997: 17.9%1998: 18.5%1999: 19.2%2000: 19.9%2001: 20.6%2002: 21.2%2003: 21.8%2004: 22.5%2005: 23.1%2006: 23.7%2007: 24.4%2008: 25%2009: 25.7%2010: 26.3%2011: 27%2012: 27.7%2013: 28.4%2014: 29.1%2015: 29.8%2016: 30.5%2017: 31.1%2018: 31.8%2019: 32.4%2020: 33.1%2021: 33.7%2022: 34.4%2023: 35%2024: 35.7%
Change over the period: +27.7 pp Annual average: 0.63 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

Central America 35.7%
World computed 16.1%
Obesity in adults — Central America, by year Central America All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 35.7 +0.7 pp
2023 35 +0.7 pp
2022 34.4 +0.7 pp
2021 33.7 +0.7 pp
2020 33.1 +0.7 pp
2019 32.4 +0.6 pp
2018 31.8 +0.7 pp
2017 31.1 +0.7 pp
2016 30.5 +0.7 pp
2015 29.8 +0.7 pp
2014 29.1 +0.7 pp
2013 28.4 +0.7 pp
2012 27.7 +0.7 pp
2011 27 +0.7 pp
2010 26.3 +0.7 pp
2009 25.7 +0.7 pp
2008 25 +0.6 pp
2007 24.4 +0.6 pp
2006 23.7 +0.6 pp
2005 23.1 +0.6 pp
2004 22.5 +0.6 pp
2003 21.8 +0.6 pp
2002 21.2 +0.6 pp
2001 20.6 +0.7 pp
2000 19.9 +0.7 pp
1999 19.2 +0.7 pp
1998 18.5 +0.7 pp
1997 17.9 +0.7 pp
1996 17.2 +0.7 pp
1995 16.5 +0.7 pp
1994 15.8 +0.7 pp
1993 15.2 +0.7 pp
1992 14.5 +0.6 pp
1991 13.9 +0.6 pp
1990 13.2 +0.6 pp
1989 12.6 +0.6 pp
1988 12 +0.6 pp
1987 11.5 +0.6 pp
1986 10.9 +0.5 pp
1985 10.4 +0.5 pp
1984 9.9 +0.5 pp
1983 9.4 +0.5 pp
1982 8.9 +0.5 pp
1981 8.4 +0.4 pp
1980 8

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.