Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados

Barbados: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 41.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
41.5%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
21st
of 199 countries
All-time high
41.5%
in 2024
All-time low
10.8%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados, 1980–2024

102030401980200220241980: 10.8 %1981: 11.2 %1982: 11.6 %1983: 12 %1984: 12.4 %1985: 12.9 %1986: 13.4 %1987: 14 %1988: 14.5 %1989: 15.1 %1990: 15.7 %1991: 16.3 %1992: 17 %1993: 17.7 %1994: 18.4 %1995: 19.1 %1996: 19.9 %1997: 20.6 %1998: 21.4 %1999: 22.1 %2000: 22.9 %2001: 23.7 %2002: 24.5 %2003: 25.4 %2004: 26.2 %2005: 27 %2006: 27.8 %2007: 28.6 %2008: 29.4 %2009: 30.2 %2010: 31 %2011: 31.8 %2012: 32.7 %2013: 33.5 %2014: 34.2 %2015: 35 %2016: 35.7 %2017: 36.5 %2018: 37.2 %2019: 38 %2020: 38.8 %2021: 39.5 %2022: 40.2 %2023: 40.9 %2024: 41.5 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados stood at 41.5%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 21.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados peaked at 41.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.8%, in 1980.

That places Barbados 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.8% 10.8% 15.1% 10
1990s 18.8% 15.7% 22.1% 10
2000s 26.6% 22.9% 30.2% 10
2010s 34.6% 31.0% 38.0% 10
2020s 40.2% 38.8% 41.5% 5

Countries ranked near Barbados

  1. 18 Belize 43.4% compare
  2. 19 Argentina 43.1% compare
  3. 20 Saint Kitts and Nevis 42.0% compare
  4. 22 United States 41.5% compare
  5. 23 Peru 40.9% compare
  6. 24 Micronesia (country) 40.9% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Barbados

All data for Barbados →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados?
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Barbados was 41.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Barbados?
The highest recorded value was 41.5% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Barbados?
The lowest recorded value was 10.8% in 1980.
How does Barbados rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
Barbados ranks 21st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Barbados?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Barbados data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 8,955 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed

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.