Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in North Korea
North Korea: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 37.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in North Korea, 1990–2022
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
In 2022, prevalence of overweight in North Korea stood at 37.0%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 36.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in North Korea peaked at 37.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 1990.
North Korea ranks 150th 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 North Korea, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.3% | — |
| 1991 | 12.8% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 13.3% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 13.8% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 14.3% | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 14.9% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 15.4% | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 16.0% | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 16.6% | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 17.3% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 17.9% | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 18.6% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 19.2% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 21.4% | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 22.2% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 23.0% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 23.8% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 24.6% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 25.4% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 26.3% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 27.1% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 28.1% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 29.0% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 29.9% | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 31.9% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 32.9% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 33.9% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 34.9% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 36.0% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 37.0% | +2.9% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 37.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 24.2%, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 37.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.9%, 66% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.7% | 12.3% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 17.9% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 25.4% | 33.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.0% | 34.9% | 37.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More health data for North Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 767 (2100)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2022)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
- Population ages 15-64, total, annual growth rate -0.1528 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, total, per capita 0.6836 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per capita 0.073 units per person (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, per capita 0 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in North Korea?
- Prevalence of overweight in North Korea was 37.0% 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 North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 37.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 1990.
- How does North Korea rank for prevalence of overweight?
- North Korea ranks 150th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea 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
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.