Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Turkey
Turkey: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 27.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Turkey, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Turkey recorded 27.5% for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Turkey peaked at 27.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1980.
Turkey ranks 93rd 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 Turkey, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 12.6% | — |
| 1981 | 12.6% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 12.7% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 12.8% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 12.9% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 13.0% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 13.2% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 13.4% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 13.5% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 13.9% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 14.2% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 14.4% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 14.7% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 15.0% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 15.4% | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 15.7% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 16.1% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 16.6% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 17.1% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 17.6% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 18.6% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 19.2% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 20.2% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 21.2% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 22.2% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 22.7% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 23.1% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 23.6% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 24.0% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 25.3% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 25.7% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 26.4% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 27.0% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 27.2% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 27.5% | +0.9% |
Turkey compared with similar countries
- Turkey's 27.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.8%, 92% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Turkey's 27.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 25.1%, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.0% | 12.6% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.0% | 13.7% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.4% | 17.1% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 22.2% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.9% | 26.4% | 27.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Turkey
More health data for Turkey
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.72 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5275 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,582 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 858 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.16 % 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 0.0298 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.94 % 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 Turkey?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Turkey was 27.5% 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 Turkey?
- The highest recorded value was 27.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Turkey?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1980.
- How does Turkey rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Turkey ranks 93rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Turkey?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Turkey 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.