Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 35.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica stood at 35.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Costa Rica peaked at 35.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 1980.
Costa Rica ranks 49th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.7% | — |
| 1981 | 11.1% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 11.5% | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 11.9% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 12.3% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 12.8% | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 13.3% | +4.0% |
| 1987 | 13.9% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 14.5% | +4.1% |
| 1989 | 15.0% | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 15.7% | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 16.3% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 16.9% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 17.6% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 18.2% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 18.9% | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 19.6% | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 20.2% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 20.9% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 22.1% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 22.7% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 23.8% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 24.4% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 24.9% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 26.0% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 26.5% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 27.0% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 27.6% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 28.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 28.6% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 29.1% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 29.7% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 30.2% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 30.7% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 31.3% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 31.9% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 32.4% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 33.0% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 33.5% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 34.1% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 34.6% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 35.1% | +1.5% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 35.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 1.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 35.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.7%, 96% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.7% | 10.7% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.6% | 15.7% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.6% | 22.1% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.0% | 27.6% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.0% | 33.0% | 35.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % 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 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % 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 Costa Rica?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Costa Rica was 35.1% 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 35.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 1980.
- How does Costa Rica rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Costa Rica ranks 49th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.