Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia
Malaysia: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 5.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia stood at 5.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia peaked at 6.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2024.
Malaysia ranks 88th of 163 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.5% | — |
| 2001 | 5.6% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 5.7% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 5.9% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | -1.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 5.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5%, 71% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 5.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.5%, 96% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 86 Netherlands 5.4% compare
- 86 Sierra Leone 5.4% compare
- 88 Congo 5.3% compare
- 90 Jamaica 5.1% compare
- 90 Rwanda 5.1% compare
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % 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 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % 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 Malaysia?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Malaysia was 5.3% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2010.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
- How does Malaysia rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Malaysia ranks 88th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.