Prevalence of overweight in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Prevalence of overweight was 38.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 38.8%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 43.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in Sri Lanka peaked at 38.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 1990.
That places Sri Lanka 145th out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.0% | — |
| 1991 | 9.5% | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 10.1% | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 10.6% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 11.2% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 11.9% | +5.6% |
| 1996 | 12.5% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 13.2% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 15.5% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 16.3% | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 17.2% | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 18.0% | +5.1% |
| 2004 | 18.9% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 20.8% | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 21.8% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 22.8% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 23.8% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 24.9% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 25.9% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 27.0% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 28.1% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 29.2% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 30.4% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 31.6% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 32.8% | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 34.0% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 35.1% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 36.4% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 37.6% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 38.8% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.7% | 9.0% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.5% | 15.5% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.9% | 24.9% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.6% | 36.4% | 38.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 304 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.13 % 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 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.12 % 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 overweight in Sri Lanka?
- Prevalence of overweight in Sri Lanka was 38.8% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 1990.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for prevalence of overweight?
- Sri Lanka ranks 145th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.