Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand
New Zealand: Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard was 39.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
39.1%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
27th
of 198 countries
All-time high
39.1%
in 2024
All-time low
14.5%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand stood at 39.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand peaked at 39.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.5%, in 1980.
That places New Zealand 27th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 14.5% | — |
| 1981 | 15.1% | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 15.8% | +4.2% |
| 1983 | 16.4% | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 17.1% | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 17.9% | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 18.6% | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 19.4% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 20.2% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 21.1% | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 22.0% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 22.9% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 23.8% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 24.8% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 25.8% | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 26.8% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 27.8% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 28.8% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 29.8% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 30.8% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 31.7% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 32.7% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 33.5% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 34.3% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 35.0% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 35.7% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 36.2% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 36.7% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 37.2% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 37.6% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 37.9% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 38.1% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 38.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 38.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 38.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 38.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 38.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 39.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 39.0% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 39.1% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 39.1% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 39.1% | +0.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 39.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 32.5%, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 39.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 30.9%, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.6% | 14.5% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.3% | 22.0% | 30.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.1% | 31.7% | 37.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.6% | 37.9% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.1% | 39.1% | 39.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 24 American Samoa 40.9% compare
- 25 French Polynesia 40.0% compare
- 26 Panama 39.6% compare
- 28 Singapore 38.7% compare
- 29 Bosnia and Herzegovina 38.5% compare
- 30 Lebanon 38.5% compare
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,116 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 33 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.1187 % 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 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.018 % 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 overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand?
- Overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in New Zealand was 39.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 39.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.5% in 1980.
- How does New Zealand rank for overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard?
- New Zealand ranks 27th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard deviations above the median (crude estimate) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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