Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Japan
Japan: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 2.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Japan, 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 Japan is 2.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.3% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Japan peaked at 2.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2003.
That places Japan 153rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.6% | — |
| 2001 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -6.3% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | +6.7% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.8% | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 2.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 23% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Japan's 2.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.5%, 36% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More health data for Japan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.73 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2774 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.22 % 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 0.0155 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.36 % 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 Japan?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Japan was 2.0% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2003.
- How does Japan rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Japan ranks 153rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.