Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in World
World: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 38.9% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in World, 1975–2016
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
World recorded 38.9% for prevalence of overweight in 2016. That is the highest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in World peaked at 38.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 1975.
That places World 28th out of 43 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in World, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 21.5% | — |
| 1976 | 21.8% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 22.1% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 22.5% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 22.8% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 23.1% | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 23.4% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 23.8% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 24.5% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 24.9% | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 25.2% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 25.6% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 26.0% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 26.3% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 26.7% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 27.1% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 27.5% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 27.9% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 28.3% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 28.6% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 29.1% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 29.5% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 29.9% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 30.3% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 30.8% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 31.2% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 31.7% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 32.1% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 32.6% | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 33.1% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 33.6% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 34.1% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 34.6% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 35.2% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 35.7% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 36.2% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 36.7% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 37.3% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 37.8% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 38.4% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 38.9% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.1% | 21.5% | 22.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 24.7% | 23.1% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.5% | 26.7% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.9% | 30.8% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.3% | 35.7% | 38.9% | 7 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2,458 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.47 % 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 0.0381 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6031 % 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 0.0401 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, annual growth rate -0.915 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in World?
- Prevalence of overweight in World was 38.9% in 2016, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 38.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 1975.
- How does World rank for prevalence of overweight?
- World ranks 28th out of 43 groups with data for 2016.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.