Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 36.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Puerto Rico, 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 Puerto Rico stood at 36.7%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Puerto Rico peaked at 36.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.8%, in 1980.
That places Puerto Rico 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.8% | — |
| 1981 | 10.1% | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 10.4% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 10.8% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 11.2% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 11.6% | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 12.0% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 12.5% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 12.9% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 14.0% | +3.9% |
| 1991 | 14.5% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 16.2% | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 16.8% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 17.4% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 19.4% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 20.1% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 21.5% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 22.2% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 22.9% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 23.6% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 24.3% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 25.0% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 25.7% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 26.4% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 27.1% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 27.8% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 28.5% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 29.2% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 29.9% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 30.6% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 31.3% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 32.1% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 32.8% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 33.5% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 34.1% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 34.8% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 36.1% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 36.7% | +1.8% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 36.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 36.7% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 36.7%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.5% | 9.8% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 14.0% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 20.1% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.3% | 27.1% | 33.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 34.1% | 36.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
More health data for Puerto Rico
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -20 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,519 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.4804 % 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 0.0145 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8484 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0152 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Puerto Rico?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Puerto Rico was 36.7% 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 36.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.8% in 1980.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Puerto Rico ranks 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.