Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America
United States of America: Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard was 38.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
38.2%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
31st
of 198 countries
All-time high
38.6%
in 2009
All-time low
18.9%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
United States of America recorded 38.2% for overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in 2024.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America peaked at 38.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, 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.
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18.9% | — |
| 1981 | 19.6% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 20.4% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 21.2% | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 22.0% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 22.8% | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 23.6% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 24.5% | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 25.4% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 26.2% | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 27.1% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 28.0% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 28.9% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 29.8% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 30.7% | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 31.6% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 32.4% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 33.3% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 34.1% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 35.0% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 35.7% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 36.4% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 37.1% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 37.6% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 38.0% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 38.2% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 38.4% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 38.6% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 38.6% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 38.6% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 38.5% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 38.4% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 38.4% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 38.3% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 38.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 38.3% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 38.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 38.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 38.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 38.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 38.3% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 38.3% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 38.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 38.2% | -0.1% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 38.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 32.5%, 1.2× the median. (66 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.4% | 18.9% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.1% | 27.1% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.7% | 35.7% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 38.3% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.3% | 38.2% | 38.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
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 overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America?
- Overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in United States of America was 38.2% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 1980.
- How does United States of America rank for overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard?
- United States of America ranks 31st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. 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 Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard deviations above the median (crude estimate) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).