Obesity in men vs. women in Sweden
Sweden: Obesity in men vs. women was 18.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Obesity in men vs. women in Sweden, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, obesity in men vs. women in Sweden stood at 18.5%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity in men vs. women in Sweden peaked at 18.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1980.
That places Sweden 114th out of 199 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 in men vs. women in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.8% | — |
| 1981 | 6.0% | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 6.2% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 6.7% | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 6.9% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 7.1% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 7.4% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 7.6% | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 7.9% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 8.7% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 9.8% | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 10.6% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 12.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 12.8% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 15.0% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 15.4% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 15.7% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 15.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 15.9% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 16.1% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 16.3% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 16.5% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 16.8% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 17.0% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 17.3% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 18.2% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 18.5% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.8% | 5.8% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.7% | 8.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 11.9% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 15.4% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 17.3% | 18.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More health data for Sweden
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.8581 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,109 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 30 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate -0.9942 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0246 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0225 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is obesity in men vs. women in Sweden?
- Obesity in men vs. women in Sweden was 18.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest obesity in men vs. women recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity in men vs. women recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1980.
- How does Sweden rank for obesity in men vs. women?
- Sweden ranks 114th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity in men vs. women rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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 Obesity in men vs. women. 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
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.