Mean total cholesterol, age-standardized by country

Countries reporting
190
Highest
5.2
Lithuania
Lowest
3.8
Rwanda
Median
4.55
Years covered
39
1980–2018
Data points
7,878

What the numbers show

Mean total cholesterol, age-standardized is currently reported for 190 countries. The highest value is 5.2 in Lithuania; the lowest is 3.8 in Rwanda.

The median across all reporting countries is 4.55, and the mean is 4.51.

Over the past decade 44 countries rose and 96 fell. The largest increase was in Uzbekistan (up 6.8%), and the largest decrease in Qatar (down 10.4%).

Mean total cholesterol, age-standardized: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Lithuania 5.2 2018 down 3.7% falling
1 Malaysia 5.2 2018 up 2.0% rising
3 France 5.1 2018 down 1.9% falling
3 Croatia 5.1 2018 down 3.8% falling
3 Latvia 5.1 2018 down 3.8% falling
3 Malta 5.1 2018 down 3.8% falling
3 Russian Federation 5.1 2018 unchanged falling
3 Singapore 5.1 2018 up 4.1% falling
3 Serbia 5.1 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Andorra 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Bulgaria 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Brunei Darussalam 5 2018 up 2.0% flat
10 Czechia 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Estonia 5 2018 down 2.0% falling
10 Hungary 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Japan 5 2018 unchanged flat
10 Lebanon 5 2018 unchanged flat
10 North Macedonia 5 2018 down 2.0% falling
10 Montenegro 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
10 Philippines 5 2018 up 4.2% rising
10 Slovak Republic 5 2018 down 2.0% falling
10 Slovenia 5 2018 down 2.0% falling
10 Thailand 5 2018 unchanged rising
10 Ukraine 5 2018 down 3.8% falling
25 Albania 4.9 2018 down 2.0% falling
25 Austria 4.9 2018 down 5.8% falling
25 Cyprus 4.9 2018 down 3.9% falling
25 Germany 4.9 2018 down 5.8% falling
25 Finland 4.9 2018 down 2.0% falling
25 Greece 4.9 2018 down 2.0% falling
25 Guyana 4.9 2018 up 6.5% flat
25 Italy 4.9 2018 down 5.8% falling
25 Norway 4.9 2018 down 5.8% falling
25 Poland 4.9 2018 down 3.9% falling
25 Portugal 4.9 2018 down 3.9% falling
25 Romania 4.9 2018 down 2.0% falling
25 Sweden 4.9 2018 down 2.0% falling
38 Belarus 4.8 2018 down 4.0% falling
38 Switzerland 4.8 2018 down 7.7% falling
38 Colombia 4.8 2018 down 2.0% flat
38 Costa Rica 4.8 2018 down 4.0% flat
38 Dominican Republic 4.8 2018 up 2.1% flat
38 Ecuador 4.8 2018 down 2.0% flat
38 Spain 4.8 2018 down 4.0% falling
38 United Kingdom 4.8 2018 down 7.7% falling
38 Indonesia 4.8 2018 up 6.7% rising
38 Israel 4.8 2018 down 2.0% falling
38 Jordan 4.8 2018 down 4.0% flat
38 Korea, Rep. 4.8 2018 unchanged flat
38 Kuwait 4.8 2018 down 4.0% falling
38 Luxembourg 4.8 2018 down 5.9% falling
38 Mexico 4.8 2018 unchanged flat
38 Myanmar 4.8 2018 up 4.3% rising
38 Mongolia 4.8 2018 up 4.3% flat
38 New Zealand 4.8 2018 down 5.9% falling
38 Uruguay 4.8 2018 down 2.0% flat
57 Australia 4.7 2018 down 6.0% falling
57 Bahamas, The 4.7 2018 unchanged falling
57 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.7 2018 down 2.1% falling
57 Brazil 4.7 2018 down 2.1% flat
57 Dominica 4.7 2018 unchanged flat
57 Denmark 4.7 2018 down 7.8% falling
57 Fiji 4.7 2018 down 2.1% flat
57 Honduras 4.7 2018 down 4.1% flat
57 Iraq 4.7 2018 down 2.1% flat
57 Iceland 4.7 2018 down 6.0% falling
57 Maldives 4.7 2018 up 4.4% rising
57 Mauritius 4.7 2018 unchanged falling
57 Netherlands 4.7 2018 down 6.0% falling
57 Panama 4.7 2018 down 2.1% flat
57 Korea, Dem. People's Rep. 4.7 2018 unchanged flat
57 Seychelles 4.7 2018 down 6.0% falling
57 Uzbekistan 4.7 2018 up 6.8% flat
57 Cook Islands 4.7 2018 down 2.1% falling
75 United Arab Emirates 4.6 2018 down 4.2% falling
75 Argentina 4.6 2018 down 4.2% falling
75 Belgium 4.6 2018 down 8.0% falling
75 Canada 4.6 2018 down 6.1% falling
75 Chile 4.6 2018 down 6.1% falling
75 China 4.6 2018 up 2.2% rising
75 Cuba 4.6 2018 unchanged flat
75 Grenada 4.6 2018 up 2.2% flat
75 Haiti 4.6 2018 up 2.2% rising
75 Ireland 4.6 2018 down 8.0% falling
75 Jamaica 4.6 2018 up 2.2% flat
75 Moldova 4.6 2018 down 6.1% falling
75 Oman 4.6 2018 down 4.2% flat
75 Peru 4.6 2018 unchanged flat
75 Paraguay 4.6 2018 down 2.1% flat
75 Saudi Arabia 4.6 2018 unchanged flat
75 El Salvador 4.6 2018 down 2.1% flat
75 Tonga 4.6 2018 down 2.1% flat
75 Trinidad and Tobago 4.6 2018 unchanged flat
75 United States 4.6 2018 down 4.2% falling
75 Viet Nam 4.6 2018 up 4.5% rising
96 Antigua and Barbuda 4.5 2018 up 2.3% flat
96 Azerbaijan 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Bahrain 4.5 2018 down 6.2% falling
96 Belize 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Bolivia 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Guatemala 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 St. Kitts and Nevis 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 St. Lucia 4.5 2018 up 2.3% flat
96 Nicaragua 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Papua New Guinea 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Solomon Islands 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Syrian Arab Republic 4.5 2018 down 4.3% flat
96 Turkmenistan 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Turkiye 4.5 2018 down 4.3% flat
96 Vanuatu 4.5 2018 unchanged flat
96 Samoa 4.5 2018 down 2.2% falling
96 Yemen, Rep. 4.5 2018 down 2.2% rising
113 Armenia 4.4 2018 down 2.2% falling
113 Barbados 4.4 2018 up 2.3% flat
113 Egypt, Arab Rep. 4.4 2018 down 4.3% flat
113 Ghana 4.4 2018 up 4.8% rising
113 Iran, Islamic Rep. 4.4 2018 down 8.3% flat
113 Kazakhstan 4.4 2018 unchanged falling
113 Cambodia 4.4 2018 up 2.3% rising
113 Lao PDR 4.4 2018 unchanged rising
113 Sri Lanka 4.4 2018 unchanged rising
113 Marshall Islands 4.4 2018 down 4.3% falling
113 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4.4 2018 unchanged flat
113 Venezuela, RB 4.4 2018 down 6.4% falling
125 Algeria 4.3 2018 down 2.3% flat
125 Micronesia, Fed. Sts. 4.3 2018 down 2.3% falling
125 Georgia 4.3 2018 unchanged flat
125 Kyrgyz Republic 4.3 2018 unchanged flat
125 Libya 4.3 2018 down 4.4% falling
125 Naoero 4.3 2018 down 8.5% falling
125 Palau 4.3 2018 down 4.4% falling
125 Qatar 4.3 2018 down 10.4% falling
125 Timor-Leste 4.3 2018 unchanged rising
125 Tunisia 4.3 2018 down 4.4% flat
125 Tuvalu 4.3 2018 down 4.4% falling
125 Tanzania 4.3 2018 up 2.4% rising
125 South Africa 4.3 2018 down 2.3% flat
125 Niue 4.3 2018 down 2.3% falling
139 Bangladesh 4.2 2018 unchanged flat
139 Djibouti 4.2 2018 unchanged falling
139 Eritrea 4.2 2018 up 2.4% rising
139 Gabon 4.2 2018 down 2.3% flat
139 Gambia, The 4.2 2018 up 2.4% flat
139 India 4.2 2018 down 4.5% flat
139 Kiribati 4.2 2018 down 2.3% falling
139 Mauritania 4.2 2018 unchanged flat
139 Nepal 4.2 2018 up 2.4% flat
139 Pakistan 4.2 2018 down 2.3% flat
139 Somalia, Fed. Rep. 4.2 2018 up 2.4% flat
139 Tajikistan 4.2 2018 unchanged flat
151 Afghanistan 4.1 2018 down 2.4% flat
151 Angola 4.1 2018 unchanged flat
151 Benin 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Bhutan 4.1 2018 down 2.4% flat
151 Cote d'Ivoire 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Cameroon 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Congo, Rep. 4.1 2018 down 2.4% flat
151 Comoros 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Cabo Verde 4.1 2018 up 2.5% rising
151 Guinea 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Equatorial Guinea 4.1 2018 unchanged flat
151 Liberia 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Morocco 4.1 2018 down 6.8% flat
151 Mozambique 4.1 2018 up 2.5% rising
151 Sudan 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
151 Senegal 4.1 2018 up 2.5% flat
167 Burundi 4 2018 up 2.6% rising
167 Botswana 4 2018 down 2.4% rising
167 Central African Republic 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Congo, Dem. Rep. 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Ethiopia 4 2018 up 2.6% rising
167 Guinea-Bissau 4 2018 unchanged rising
167 Kenya 4 2018 up 2.6% flat
167 Madagascar 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Mali 4 2018 up 2.6% rising
167 Namibia 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Sierra Leone 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Sao Tome and Principe 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Eswatini 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Chad 4 2018 up 2.6% rising
167 Togo 4 2018 unchanged flat
167 Uganda 4 2018 up 2.6% rising
167 Zimbabwe 4 2018 down 2.4% flat
184 Niger 3.9 2018 unchanged flat
184 Zambia 3.9 2018 down 2.5% flat
186 Burkina Faso 3.8 2018 unchanged rising
186 Lesotho 3.8 2018 unchanged flat
186 Malawi 3.8 2018 up 5.6% flat
186 Nigeria 3.8 2018 unchanged rising
186 Rwanda 3.8 2018 up 2.7% flat

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator
Mean total cholesterol, age-standardized
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
202 places, 7,878 data points, 1980–2018
Last refreshed