Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Ireland
Ireland: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 11.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Ireland, 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 Ireland is 11.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Ireland peaked at 11.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 2000.
That places Ireland 23rd 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.9% | — |
| 2001 | 8.1% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 8.3% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 8.5% | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 8.7% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 8.9% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 9.3% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 9.5% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 9.7% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 9.9% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 11.0% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 11.1% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 11.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 11.2% | +0.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 11.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 11.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.6%, 1.7× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.9% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.6% | 9.9% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More health data for Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -4.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.89 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,122 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 20 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7228 % 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 0.026 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6489 % 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 Ireland?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Ireland was 11.2% 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 2000.
- How does Ireland rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Ireland ranks 23rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.