Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 54.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in Malaysia, 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 Malaysia stood at 54.9%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in Malaysia peaked at 54.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 23.5%, in 1990.
Malaysia ranks 104th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 23.5% | — |
| 1991 | 24.4% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 25.4% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 26.5% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 27.5% | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 28.6% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 29.7% | +3.8% |
| 1997 | 30.8% | +3.7% |
| 1998 | 31.9% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 33.1% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 34.2% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 35.4% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 37.6% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 38.7% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 39.8% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 40.8% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 41.9% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 42.8% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 43.8% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 44.7% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 45.5% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 46.4% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 47.3% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 49.0% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 49.9% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 50.7% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 52.4% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 53.2% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 54.1% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 54.9% | +1.6% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 54.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.2%, 91% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 54.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 55.9%, 98% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.1% | 23.5% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.1% | 34.2% | 43.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.6% | 44.7% | 52.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.1% | 53.2% | 54.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 652 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % 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 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % 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 0.0316 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in Malaysia?
- Prevalence of overweight in Malaysia was 54.9% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 54.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.5% in 1990.
- How does Malaysia rank for prevalence of overweight?
- Malaysia ranks 104th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.