Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Colombia
Colombia: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 28.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Colombia, 1980–2024
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 Colombia stood at 28.7%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Colombia peaked at 28.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1980.
That places Colombia 84th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.7% | — |
| 1981 | 7.9% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 8.0% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 8.2% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 8.4% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 8.6% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 8.8% | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 9.1% | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 9.3% | +2.8% |
| 1989 | 9.6% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 9.9% | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 10.2% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 10.5% | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 10.8% | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 11.4% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 11.7% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 12.0% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 12.4% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 13.0% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 13.4% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 13.8% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 14.6% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 15.0% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 16.0% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 16.5% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 17.1% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 17.8% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 18.4% | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 19.2% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 19.9% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 20.7% | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 21.4% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 23.0% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 23.8% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 24.6% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 25.4% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 26.2% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 27.0% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 27.9% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 28.7% | +3.1% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 28.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 96% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 28.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.7%, 78% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.6% | 7.7% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.3% | 9.9% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.9% | 13.0% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.1% | 17.8% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.1% | 25.4% | 28.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More health data for Colombia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3468 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,505 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 698 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3706 % 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 0.0324 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.3776 % 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 Colombia?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Colombia was 28.7% 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1980.
- How does Colombia rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Colombia ranks 84th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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.
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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.