Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in India
India: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 29.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in India, 1990–2022
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight in India is 29.5%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 48.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in India peaked at 29.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 1990.
India ranks 173rd of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in India, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.2% | — |
| 1991 | 6.6% | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 7.0% | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 7.4% | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 7.9% | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 8.3% | +5.8% |
| 1996 | 8.8% | +5.8% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | +5.8% |
| 1998 | 9.9% | +5.9% |
| 1999 | 10.4% | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 11.0% | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | +5.5% |
| 2003 | 13.0% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 15.1% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 16.6% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 17.4% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 18.2% | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 19.9% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 20.7% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 21.6% | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 23.5% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 24.5% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 25.5% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 26.5% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 27.5% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 28.5% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 29.5% | +3.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 29.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 39.5%, 75% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 29.5% is below the median for South Asia, which is 34.8%, 85% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.2% | 6.2% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.1% | 11.0% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 18.2% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.5% | 27.5% | 29.5% | 3 |
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in India?
- Prevalence of overweight in India was 29.5% in 2022, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 29.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 1990.
- How does India rank for prevalence of overweight?
- India ranks 173rd out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.3%. 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 Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/), published as part of Prevalence of overweight (% of adults). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Prevalence of overweight adults is the percentage of adults ages 18 and over whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is more than 25 kg/m2. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height, or the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.