Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in United States of America
United States of America: Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard was 19.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
19.7%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
31st
of 198 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 2024
All-time low
4.9%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in United States of America, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in United States of America stood at 19.7%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in United States of America peaked at 19.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 1980.
United States of America ranks 31st of 198 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 United States of America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.9% | — |
| 1981 | 5.3% | +8.2% |
| 1982 | 5.8% | +8.0% |
| 1983 | 6.2% | +7.8% |
| 1984 | 6.7% | +7.6% |
| 1985 | 7.2% | +7.5% |
| 1986 | 7.7% | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 8.3% | +7.1% |
| 1988 | 8.8% | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 9.4% | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 10.0% | +6.4% |
| 1991 | 10.7% | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 11.3% | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 11.9% | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 12.6% | +5.4% |
| 1995 | 13.2% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 13.9% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 14.6% | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 15.2% | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 15.9% | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 16.5% | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 17.0% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 17.5% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 18.0% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 18.6% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 18.8% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 18.9% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 19.0% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 18.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 18.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 19.0% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 19.1% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 19.2% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 19.3% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 19.5% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 19.6% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | +0.5% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 19.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.3× the median. (66 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.0% | 4.9% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.9% | 10.0% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 16.5% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 18.8% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 19.2% | 19.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
- 28 Bermuda 21.0% compare
- 29 Dominica 20.7% compare
- 30 United Arab Emirates 20.0% compare
- 32 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19.6% compare
- 33 Lebanon 19.0% compare
- 34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 19.0% compare
More health data for United States of America
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,069 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % 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 0.0261 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % 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 United States of America?
- Obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in United States of America was 19.7% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 1980.
- How does United States of America rank for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard?
- United States of America ranks 31st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).