Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita was 30.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in United Arab Emirates, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 30.3% for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in United Arab Emirates peaked at 30.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 11.4%, in 1980.
That places United Arab Emirates 69th 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.
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.4% | — |
| 1981 | 12.0% | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 12.7% | +5.6% |
| 1983 | 13.4% | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 14.1% | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 14.9% | +5.4% |
| 1986 | 15.6% | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 16.1% | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 16.6% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 17.2% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 17.7% | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 18.3% | +3.4% |
| 1992 | 19.0% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 20.5% | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 21.3% | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 22.0% | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 23.2% | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 23.8% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 24.5% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 25.1% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 25.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 26.5% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 27.1% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 27.8% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 28.9% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 29.3% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 29.7% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 30.3% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 30.5% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 30.6% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 30.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 30.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 30.9% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 30.8% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 30.5% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 30.4% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 30.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 30.3% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 30.3% | +0.0% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 30.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.0%, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 30.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 30.3%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.4% | 11.4% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.8% | 17.7% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.3% | 24.5% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.6% | 30.0% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.3% | 30.2% | 30.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More health data for United Arab Emirates
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.3472 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 308.9 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 287 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 6.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 3.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in United Arab Emirates?
- Share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in United Arab Emirates was 30.3% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 30.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4% in 1980.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 69th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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
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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.