Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in North Korea
North Korea: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita was 12.1% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in North Korea, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
North Korea recorded 12.1% for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 60.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in North Korea peaked at 12.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1980.
North Korea ranks 154th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in North Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.2% | — |
| 1981 | 1.3% | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 1.4% | +4.7% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 1.7% | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 1.8% | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | +6.0% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +6.1% |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +6.1% |
| 1999 | 3.4% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | +5.8% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 5.8% | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 6.5% | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 6.8% | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | +5.1% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 8.3% | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 8.7% | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 9.1% | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 9.6% | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 10.5% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 11.0% | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +4.6% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 12.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 8.2%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 12.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.6%, 49% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 6.1% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.0% | 10.0% | 12.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 767 deaths (2100)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,462 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.6995 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.031 units per person (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2022)
- Age population, age 17, male, interpolated 168,398 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in North Korea?
- Share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in North Korea was 12.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1980.
- How does North Korea rank for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
- North Korea ranks 154th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea 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 Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita. 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) ≥ 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.