Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India
India: Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) was 3.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India is 3.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.8% on the previous year and up 68.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India peaked at 3.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2009.
That places India 124th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.6% | — |
| 2001 | 2.5% | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 2.2% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | +8.0% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | +7.4% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | +9.7% |
| 2024 | 3.7% | +8.8% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 3.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.7%, 80% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 3.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 2.4%, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % 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 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % 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 prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India?
- Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in India was 3.7% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2009.
- How does India rank for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
- India ranks 124th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.
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