Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 61.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 61.4%. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in United Kingdom peaked at 61.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 45.7%, in 1990.
United Kingdom ranks 67th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 45.7% | — |
| 1991 | 46.9% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 48.0% | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 49.1% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 50.2% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 51.3% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 52.4% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 53.4% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 54.3% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 55.2% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 56.0% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 56.8% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 57.5% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 58.1% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 58.6% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 59.1% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 59.5% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 59.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 60.0% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 60.3% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 60.4% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 60.6% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 60.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 60.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 60.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 60.9% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 61.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 61.1% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 61.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 61.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 61.3% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | +0.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 61.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 60.7%, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 61.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 57.1%, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.6% | 45.7% | 55.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.6% | 56.0% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.8% | 60.4% | 61.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.3% | 61.2% | 61.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 64 Azerbaijan 61.7% compare
- 65 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 61.5% compare
- 66 Greece 61.4% compare
- 68 Moldova 61.2% compare
- 69 Jamaica 61.1% compare
- 70 Seychelles 60.8% compare
More health data for United Kingdom
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 461 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7128 % 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 0.0247 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7724 % 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 0.0261 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in United Kingdom?
- Prevalence of overweight in United Kingdom was 61.4% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 61.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.7% in 1990.
- How does United Kingdom rank for prevalence of overweight?
- United Kingdom ranks 67th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
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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.