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

Latest (2024)
43.4%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
18th
of 199 countries
All-time high
43.4%
in 2024
All-time low
11.8%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

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

102030401980200220241980: 11.8 %1981: 12.2 %1982: 12.6 %1983: 13 %1984: 13.5 %1985: 14.1 %1986: 14.7 %1987: 15.2 %1988: 15.9 %1989: 16.5 %1990: 17.2 %1991: 17.8 %1992: 18.5 %1993: 19.2 %1994: 19.9 %1995: 20.7 %1996: 21.5 %1997: 22.3 %1998: 23.1 %1999: 23.9 %2000: 24.7 %2001: 25.5 %2002: 26.4 %2003: 27.2 %2004: 28.1 %2005: 28.9 %2006: 29.7 %2007: 30.6 %2008: 31.4 %2009: 32.2 %2010: 33 %2011: 33.8 %2012: 34.6 %2013: 35.4 %2014: 36.1 %2015: 36.9 %2016: 37.7 %2017: 38.4 %2018: 39.2 %2019: 39.9 %2020: 40.6 %2021: 41.3 %2022: 42 %2023: 42.7 %2024: 43.4 %

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 15 Brunei 44.9% compare
  2. 16 United Arab Emirates 44.2% compare
  3. 17 Antigua and Barbuda 44.0% compare
  4. 19 Argentina 43.1% compare
  5. 20 Saint Kitts and Nevis 42.0% compare
  6. 21 Barbados 41.5% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Belize

All data for Belize →

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

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.