Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in South Korea
South Korea: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 35.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in South Korea, 1990–2022
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 35.9% for prevalence of overweight in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in South Korea peaked at 35.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 22.4%, in 1990.
That places South Korea 153rd out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it 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 South Korea, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 22.4% | — |
| 1991 | 22.9% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 23.4% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 24.0% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 24.5% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 25.0% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 25.4% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 25.9% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 26.4% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 26.8% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 27.3% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 27.7% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 28.1% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 28.5% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 28.8% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 29.1% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 29.4% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 29.7% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 30.0% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 30.2% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 30.5% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 31.1% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 31.4% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 31.9% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 32.3% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 32.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 33.2% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 33.7% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 34.2% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 34.8% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 35.3% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 35.9% | +1.6% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 35.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 60.7%, 59% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 35.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.9%, 64% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.7% | 22.4% | 26.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.9% | 27.3% | 30.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.2% | 30.5% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.3% | 34.8% | 35.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 150 North Korea 37.0% compare
- 151 Ghana 36.7% compare
- 152 Namibia 36.5% compare
- 154 Philippines 35.0% compare
- 155 Somalia 34.9% compare
- 156 Cote d'Ivoire 34.5% compare
More health data for South Korea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1935 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 69 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.66 % 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 0.0118 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.76 % 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 0.0124 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in South Korea?
- Prevalence of overweight in South Korea was 35.9% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 35.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4% in 1990.
- How does South Korea rank for prevalence of overweight?
- South Korea ranks 153rd out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South 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.