Prevalence of hypertension in OECD members

OECD members: Prevalence of hypertension was 31.5% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
31.5%
Change on year
down 0.7%
Rank
36th
of 43 groups
All-time high
37.4%
in 1990
All-time low
31.5%
in 2019
Years of data
30
1990–2019

Prevalence of hypertension in OECD members, 1990–2019

0102030401990200420191990: 37.4 % of adults ages 30-791991: 37.1 % of adults ages 30-791992: 36.9 % of adults ages 30-791993: 36.6 % of adults ages 30-791994: 36.4 % of adults ages 30-791995: 36.1 % of adults ages 30-791996: 35.9 % of adults ages 30-791997: 35.6 % of adults ages 30-791998: 35.5 % of adults ages 30-791999: 35.3 % of adults ages 30-792000: 35.1 % of adults ages 30-792001: 35 % of adults ages 30-792002: 34.9 % of adults ages 30-792003: 34.7 % of adults ages 30-792004: 34.6 % of adults ages 30-792005: 34.5 % of adults ages 30-792006: 34.4 % of adults ages 30-792007: 34.2 % of adults ages 30-792008: 34 % of adults ages 30-792009: 33.8 % of adults ages 30-792010: 33.6 % of adults ages 30-792011: 33.3 % of adults ages 30-792012: 33.1 % of adults ages 30-792013: 32.8 % of adults ages 30-792014: 32.6 % of adults ages 30-792015: 32.3 % of adults ages 30-792016: 32.1 % of adults ages 30-792017: 31.9 % of adults ages 30-792018: 31.7 % of adults ages 30-792019: 31.5 % of adults ages 30-79

Source: World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of adults ages 30-79.

Analysis

OECD members recorded 31.5% for prevalence of hypertension in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of hypertension in OECD members peaked at 37.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 2019.

That places OECD members 36th out of 43 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.

Prevalence of hypertension in OECD members, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of hypertension (% of adults ages 30-79) in OECD members, 1990 to 2019.
Year % of adults ages 30-79 Change
1990 37.4%
1991 37.1% -0.7%
1992 36.9% -0.7%
1993 36.6% -0.6%
1994 36.4% -0.7%
1995 36.1% -0.7%
1996 35.9% -0.7%
1997 35.6% -0.7%
1998 35.5% -0.5%
1999 35.3% -0.5%
2000 35.1% -0.5%
2001 35.0% -0.4%
2002 34.9% -0.3%
2003 34.7% -0.4%
2004 34.6% -0.3%
2005 34.5% -0.4%
2006 34.4% -0.4%
2007 34.2% -0.5%
2008 34.0% -0.5%
2009 33.8% -0.6%
2010 33.6% -0.6%
2011 33.3% -0.8%
2012 33.1% -0.7%
2013 32.8% -0.9%
2014 32.6% -0.8%
2015 32.3% -0.8%
2016 32.1% -0.7%
2017 31.9% -0.7%
2018 31.7% -0.7%
2019 31.5% -0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.3% 35.3% 37.4% 10
2000s 34.5% 33.8% 35.1% 10
2010s 32.5% 31.5% 33.6% 10

Countries ranked near OECD members

  1. 33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 44.2% compare
  2. 33 Palau 44.2% compare
  3. 35 Botswana 44.1% compare
  4. 35 Cape Verde 44.1% compare
  5. 35 South Africa 44.1% compare
  6. 38 Latvia 43.9% compare
  7. 39 Namibia 43.8% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More health data for OECD members

All data for OECD members →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of hypertension in OECD members?
Prevalence of hypertension in OECD members was 31.5% in 2019, according to World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
What is the highest prevalence of hypertension recorded in OECD members?
The highest recorded value was 37.4% in 1990.
What is the lowest prevalence of hypertension recorded in OECD members?
The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 2019.
How does OECD members rank for prevalence of hypertension?
OECD members ranks 36th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
Is prevalence of hypertension rising or falling in OECD members?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this OECD members data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as part of Prevalence of hypertension (% of adults ages 30-79). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of hypertension in OECD members. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-hypertension-percent-of-adults-ages-30-79/oecd-members/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of hypertension (% of adults ages 30-79)
Unit
% of adults ages 30-79
Source
World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 7,050 data points, 1990–2019
Last refreshed

Prevalence of hypertension is the percentage of adults ages 30-79 with hypertension (defined as having systolic blood pressure =140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure =90 mmHg, or taking medication for hypertension). The data is age-standardized.