Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 30.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in El Salvador, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in El Salvador is 30.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in El Salvador peaked at 30.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 1980.
El Salvador ranks 68th of 199 countries on this measure, 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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 12.1% | — |
| 1981 | 12.5% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 12.9% | +3.6% |
| 1983 | 13.4% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 13.9% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 14.4% | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 15.0% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 15.6% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 16.2% | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 16.8% | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 17.4% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 18.0% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 18.6% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 19.3% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 20.5% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 21.2% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 21.7% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 22.3% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 22.9% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 23.4% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 23.8% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 24.3% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 24.6% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 25.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 25.3% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 25.7% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 26.0% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 26.1% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 26.3% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 26.8% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 27.3% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 27.6% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 28.0% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 28.3% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 28.7% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 29.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 29.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 29.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 30.0% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 30.3% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +0.9% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 30.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 30.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.7%, 83% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.3% | 12.1% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.2% | 17.4% | 22.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.0% | 23.4% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.6% | 26.3% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.0% | 29.4% | 30.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More health data for El Salvador
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4574 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,537 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 104 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.9135 % 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 0.0374 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8849 % 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 El Salvador?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in El Salvador was 30.6% 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 1980.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- El Salvador ranks 68th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.