South Korea vs Malaysia: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese
South Korea
34.5%
in 2024
Malaysia
34.5%
in 2024
South Korea rank
50th
Malaysia rank
51st
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese over time
- South Korea
- Malaysia
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 34.5% against 34.5% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.0%.
Across all 45 years both countries report, South Korea has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 50th and Malaysia ranks 51st of 199 countries.
South Korea has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.4% | 5.7% | 2.7% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 15.2% | 11.1% | 4.1% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 24.0% | 19.4% | 4.6% | South Korea |
| 2010s | 28.7% | 27.4% | 1.3% | South Korea |
| 2020s | 33.3% | 32.9% | 0.4% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese, South Korea or Malaysia?
- South Korea, at 34.5% against 34.5% in Malaysia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese between South Korea and Malaysia?
- 0.0%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Malaysia?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do South Korea and Malaysia rank globally for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- South Korea ranks 50th and Malaysia ranks 51st of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years old that are defined as either overweight or obese. This means their weight-for-height is more than one standard deviations from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards.