Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize
Belize: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 43.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belize recorded 43.4% for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize peaked at 43.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.8%, in 1980.
That places Belize 18th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.8% | — |
| 1981 | 12.2% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 12.6% | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 13.0% | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 13.5% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 14.1% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 14.7% | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 15.2% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 16.5% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 17.2% | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 17.8% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 18.5% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 19.2% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 20.7% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 21.5% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 22.3% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 23.1% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 23.9% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 24.7% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 25.5% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 26.4% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 27.2% | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 28.1% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 28.9% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 29.7% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 31.4% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 32.2% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 33.0% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 33.8% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 34.6% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 36.1% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 36.9% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 37.7% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 38.4% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 39.2% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 39.9% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 40.6% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 41.3% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 42.0% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 42.7% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 43.4% | +1.6% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 43.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belize's 43.4% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.7%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.9% | 11.8% | 16.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.4% | 17.2% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.5% | 24.7% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.5% | 33.0% | 39.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.0% | 40.6% | 43.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belize
- 15 Brunei 44.9% compare
- 16 United Arab Emirates 44.2% compare
- 17 Antigua and Barbuda 44.0% compare
- 19 Argentina 43.1% compare
- 20 Saint Kitts and Nevis 42.0% compare
- 21 Barbados 41.5% compare
More health data for Belize
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5114 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,415 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 9 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.566 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0412 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6604 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Belize was 43.4% 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 Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 43.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.8% in 1980.
- How does Belize rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Belize ranks 18th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belize 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
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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.