Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada
Canada: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 11.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada is 11.4%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada peaked at 11.5% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2000.
That places Canada 22nd out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.1% | — |
| 2001 | 9.3% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 9.7% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 9.9% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 10.1% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 10.2% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 10.4% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 10.7% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 11.0% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 11.1% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 11.2% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 11.3% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11.4% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 11.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.9% | 9.1% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.2% | 10.8% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 11.4% | 11.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,083 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 385 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5214 % 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 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5024 % 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, weight for height in Canada?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Canada was 11.4% in 2024, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 2019.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2000.
- How does Canada rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Canada ranks 22nd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (modeled estimate, % of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of overweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations above the median for the international reference population of the corresponding age as established by the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.