Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Peru
Peru: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 40.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Peru, 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 Peru stood at 40.9%. 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 43.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Peru peaked at 40.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 1980.
Peru ranks 23rd 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.2% | 13.2% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.0% | 15.6% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.9% | 18.9% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.2% | 24.2% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.5% | 36.0% | 40.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Peru
- 20 Saint Kitts and Nevis 42.0% compare
- 21 Barbados 41.5% compare
- 22 United States 41.5% compare
- 24 Micronesia (country) 40.9% compare
- 25 Kiribati 40.9% compare
- 26 Uruguay 40.3% compare
More health data for Peru
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,235 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 782 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 277,896 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 278,985 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 277,934 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 277,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 277,995 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 275,298 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Peru?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Peru was 40.9% 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 Peru?
- The highest recorded value was 40.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Peru?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 1980.
- How does Peru rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Peru ranks 23rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Peru?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Peru 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.