Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Lebanon
Lebanon: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 38.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Lebanon, 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 Lebanon stood at 38.9%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Lebanon peaked at 38.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 17.6%, in 1980.
Lebanon ranks 31st 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 Lebanon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 17.6% | — |
| 1981 | 17.8% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 18.0% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 18.2% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 18.5% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 18.7% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 19.0% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 19.3% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 19.6% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 20.0% | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 20.3% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 20.7% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 21.2% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 21.6% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 22.1% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 22.7% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 23.2% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 23.8% | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 24.5% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 25.1% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 25.8% | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 26.6% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 28.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 28.7% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 29.3% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 29.9% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 30.5% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 31.1% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 31.7% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 32.7% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 33.3% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 33.8% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 34.3% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 34.8% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 35.3% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 35.8% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 36.3% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 36.8% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 37.3% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 37.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 38.1% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 38.5% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 38.9% | +1.0% |
Lebanon compared with similar countries
- Lebanon's 38.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.1%, 2.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lebanon's 38.9% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 32.2%, 1.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.7% | 17.6% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.5% | 20.3% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.9% | 25.8% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 32.2% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 37.3% | 38.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
More health data for Lebanon
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.46 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,106 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 185 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5482 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.209 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Lebanon?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Lebanon was 38.9% 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 Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 38.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.6% in 1980.
- How does Lebanon rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Lebanon ranks 31st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lebanon 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
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.