Obesity in adults — all countries

Obesity in adults — South America

Obesity in adults in South America in 2024 — 30.2%. Since 1980, the indicator has risen by 23.5 pp.

2024 30.2% +0.8 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 30.2%2024
Period minimum 6.7%1980

Trend over time

1980–2024 · % of adults

Obesity in adults — South America, 1980–202401020304019801985199019952000200520102015202020241980: 6.7%1981: 6.9%1982: 7.2%1983: 7.4%1984: 7.7%1985: 8%1986: 8.3%1987: 8.6%1988: 8.9%1989: 9.3%1990: 9.6%1991: 10%1992: 10.4%1993: 10.7%1994: 11.2%1995: 11.6%1996: 12%1997: 12.5%1998: 12.9%1999: 13.4%2000: 13.9%2001: 14.4%2002: 14.9%2003: 15.3%2004: 15.9%2005: 16.4%2006: 16.9%2007: 17.5%2008: 18.1%2009: 18.7%2010: 19.3%2011: 20%2012: 20.7%2013: 21.5%2014: 22.2%2015: 23%2016: 23.7%2017: 24.5%2018: 25.3%2019: 26.1%2020: 26.9%2021: 27.7%2022: 28.5%2023: 29.4%2024: 30.2%
Change over the period: +23.5 pp Annual average: 0.54 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

South America 30.2%
World computed 16.1%
Obesity in adults — South America, by year South America All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 30.2 +0.8 pp
2023 29.4 +0.8 pp
2022 28.5 +0.8 pp
2021 27.7 +0.8 pp
2020 26.9 +0.8 pp
2019 26.1 +0.8 pp
2018 25.3 +0.8 pp
2017 24.5 +0.8 pp
2016 23.7 +0.8 pp
2015 23 +0.8 pp
2014 22.2 +0.8 pp
2013 21.5 +0.7 pp
2012 20.7 +0.7 pp
2011 20 +0.7 pp
2010 19.3 +0.7 pp
2009 18.7 +0.6 pp
2008 18.1 +0.6 pp
2007 17.5 +0.6 pp
2006 16.9 +0.5 pp
2005 16.4 +0.5 pp
2004 15.9 +0.5 pp
2003 15.3 +0.5 pp
2002 14.9 +0.5 pp
2001 14.4 +0.5 pp
2000 13.9 +0.5 pp
1999 13.4 +0.5 pp
1998 12.9 +0.5 pp
1997 12.5 +0.5 pp
1996 12 +0.4 pp
1995 11.6 +0.4 pp
1994 11.2 +0.4 pp
1993 10.7 +0.4 pp
1992 10.4 +0.4 pp
1991 10 +0.4 pp
1990 9.6 +0.4 pp
1989 9.3 +0.3 pp
1988 8.9 +0.3 pp
1987 8.6 +0.3 pp
1986 8.3 +0.3 pp
1985 8 +0.3 pp
1984 7.7 +0.3 pp
1983 7.4 +0.3 pp
1982 7.2 +0.2 pp
1981 6.9 +0.2 pp
1980 6.7

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.