Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard was 15.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
15.5%
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
66th
of 198 countries
All-time high
15.5%
in 2024
All-time low
2.4%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 15.5% for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica peaked at 15.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1980.
That places Costa Rica 66th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.4% | — |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 2.7% | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 2.8% | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | +5.9% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +6.1% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | +6.2% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | +6.3% |
| 1991 | 4.6% | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 4.9% | +6.2% |
| 1993 | 5.1% | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 6.4% | +5.4% |
| 1998 | 6.7% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 7.1% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 7.4% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 7.8% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 8.1% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 8.5% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 9.8% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 10.1% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 11.7% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 12.1% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 12.7% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 13.1% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 13.4% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 14.1% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 14.5% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 14.8% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 15.5% | +2.3% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 15.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 15.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.6%, 79% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.6% | 4.3% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.0% | 7.4% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.2% | 10.8% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 14.1% | 15.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,632 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 35 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % 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 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % 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 obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica?
- Obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Costa Rica was 15.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 15.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1980.
- How does Costa Rica rank for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard?
- Costa Rica ranks 66th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard deviations above the median (crude estimate) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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