Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Panama
Panama: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 10.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Panama, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Panama stood at 10.9%.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Panama peaked at 11.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.3%, in 2000.
That places Panama 28th 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 Panama, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.3% | — |
| 2001 | 8.6% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 8.9% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 9.2% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 9.6% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 9.8% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 10.0% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 10.2% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 10.4% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 11.0% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 11.1% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 11.3% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 11.3% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11.4% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11.5% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11.2% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 11.1% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 10.9% | -1.8% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 10.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Panama's 10.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 7.9%, 1.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.4% | 8.3% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.2% | 10.6% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 10.9% | 11.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More health data for Panama
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5994 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,074 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 101 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.2522 % 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 0.0378 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.3451 % 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 Panama?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Panama was 10.9% 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 Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 11.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.3% in 2000.
- How does Panama rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Panama ranks 28th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama 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.