Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 44.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in United Arab Emirates, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in United Arab Emirates is 44.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in United Arab Emirates peaked at 44.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.4%, in 1980.
United Arab Emirates ranks 16th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 20.4% | — |
| 1981 | 20.7% | +1.8% |
| 1982 | 21.1% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 21.5% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 21.9% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 22.3% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 22.8% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 23.3% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 23.8% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 24.3% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 24.8% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 25.4% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 26.0% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 26.6% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 27.3% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 28.0% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 28.7% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 29.5% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 30.3% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 31.1% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 31.9% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 32.7% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 33.4% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 34.1% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 34.9% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 35.6% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 36.2% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 36.8% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 37.4% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 37.9% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 38.3% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 38.8% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 39.2% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 39.7% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 40.2% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 40.6% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 41.1% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 41.6% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 42.0% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 42.4% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 42.8% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 43.1% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 43.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 43.9% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 44.2% | +0.8% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 44.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.7%, 1.4× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 44.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 32.2%, 1.4× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.2% | 20.4% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.8% | 24.8% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.1% | 31.9% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.4% | 38.3% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.5% | 42.8% | 44.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More health data for United Arab Emirates
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.3472 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 308.9 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 287 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 6.22 % 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 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 3.35 % 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 United Arab Emirates?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in United Arab Emirates was 44.2% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 44.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4% in 1980.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 16th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.