Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Greenland
Greenland: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 13.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Greenland, 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 Greenland stood at 13.4%.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Greenland peaked at 16.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 10.6%, in 1980.
Greenland ranks 157th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom 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 Greenland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.6% | — |
| 1981 | 10.7% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 10.9% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 11.1% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 11.4% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 11.7% | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 12.0% | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 12.4% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 12.8% | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 13.3% | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 14.0% | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 14.3% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 14.9% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 15.1% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 15.3% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 15.6% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 15.8% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 16.0% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 16.1% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 16.2% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 16.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 16.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 16.3% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 16.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 16.2% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 15.9% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 15.6% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 14.5% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 14.3% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 14.2% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 13.8% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 13.5% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 13.4% | -1.0% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 13.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 44% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 13.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 25.1%, 53% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.7% | 10.6% | 13.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.9% | 13.7% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.2% | 15.9% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 14.2% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 13.4% | 14.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More health data for Greenland
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3856 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,447 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1 deaths (2100)
- Population, female, per capita 0.4749 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Population, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.1153 units per person (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 344 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 324 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Greenland?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Greenland was 13.4% 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 Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 16.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.6% in 1980.
- How does Greenland rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Greenland ranks 157th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Greenland 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.