Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region)
Americas (WHO region): Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) was 9.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
9.1%
Change on year
up 2.2%
Rank
1st
of 13 groups
All-time high
9.1%
in 2024
All-time low
6.0%
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region), 1990–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Americas (WHO region) recorded 9.1% for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region) peaked at 9.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.0% | — |
| 1991 | 6.2% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 6.3% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 6.8% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 6.9% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 6.9% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 7.0% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 7.1% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 7.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 7.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 7.3% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 7.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7.4% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7.5% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 7.6% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 7.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7.8% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 8.1% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 8.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 8.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 8.5% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 8.7% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 8.9% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.5% | 6.0% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.2% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.9% | 7.6% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 8.4% | 9.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Americas (WHO region)
- 1 Australia 26.4% compare
- 2 Papua New Guinea 18.5% compare
- 3 Turks and Caicos Islands 18.3% compare
- 4 Tunisia 17.5% compare
More health data for Americas (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 24,640 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 385 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 72 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 23 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,380 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -3.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 22.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -20.67 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region)?
- Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region) was 9.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Americas (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Americas (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1990.
- How does Americas (WHO region) rank for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
- Americas (WHO region) ranks 1st out of 13 groups with data for 2024.
- Is overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) rising or falling in Americas (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Americas (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% weight-for-height >+2 SD), model-based estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).