Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard was 22.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
22.8%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
18th
of 198 countries
All-time high
22.8%
in 2024
All-time low
4.1%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Puerto Rico, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Puerto Rico recorded 22.8% for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Puerto Rico peaked at 22.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 1980.
Puerto Rico ranks 18th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.1% | — |
| 1981 | 4.3% | +4.6% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 4.7% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 5.0% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 5.2% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 5.5% | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 5.8% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 6.1% | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 6.4% | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 7.2% | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 7.5% | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 7.9% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 8.4% | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 8.8% | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 9.2% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 9.7% | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 10.1% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 10.6% | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 11.0% | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 11.5% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 12.5% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 13.0% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 14.0% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 14.5% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 15.0% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 16.5% | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 16.9% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 17.4% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 17.9% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 18.4% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 19.4% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 19.9% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 20.9% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 21.4% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 21.9% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 22.8% | +2.0% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 22.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.5× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 22.8% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 19.6%, 1.2× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.2% | 4.1% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 6.8% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.2% | 11.0% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 16.0% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.9% | 20.9% | 22.8% | 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 obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Puerto Rico?
- Obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Puerto Rico was 22.8% 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 22.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 1980.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard?
- Puerto Rico ranks 18th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.9%. 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, 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
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).