Prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Prevalence of hypertension was 26.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom, 1990–2019
Source: World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of adults ages 30-79.
Analysis
In 2019, prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom stood at 26.4%. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom peaked at 38.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom 186th out of 192 countries 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of adults ages 30-79 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 38.1% | — |
| 1991 | 37.8% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 37.6% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 37.3% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 36.9% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 36.4% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 35.9% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 35.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 34.8% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 34.3% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 33.7% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 33.1% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 32.6% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 32.1% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 31.7% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 31.2% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 30.8% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 30.5% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 30.1% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 29.8% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 29.4% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 29.0% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 28.7% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 28.3% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 27.6% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 27.3% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 27.0% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 26.7% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 26.4% | -1.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 26.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 36.1%, 73% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 26.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 41.0%, 64% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.5% | 34.3% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.6% | 29.8% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.8% | 26.4% | 29.4% | 10 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 184 South Korea 26.7% compare
- 185 North Korea 26.5% compare
- 187 Iran 26.2% compare
- 188 Cambodia 25.7% compare
- 189 Eritrea 23.7% compare
More health data for United Kingdom
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7128 % 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 0.0247 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7724 % 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 prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom?
- Prevalence of hypertension in United Kingdom was 26.4% in 2019, according to World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of hypertension recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 38.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest prevalence of hypertension recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom rank for prevalence of hypertension?
- United Kingdom ranks 186th out of 192 countries with data for 2019.
- Is prevalence of hypertension rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.