Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in United States
United States: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 9.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in United States, 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 United States is 9.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in United States peaked at 9.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 2000.
United States ranks 40th of 163 countries on this measure, 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 United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.7% | — |
| 2001 | 7.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7.8% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 7.9% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 8.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 8.1% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8.2% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 8.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 8.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 8.4% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 8.6% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 8.8% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 8.9% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 9.2% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 9.4% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 9.7% | +3.2% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 9.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.6%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.3% | 8.9% | 9.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More health data for United States
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,069 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,015 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % 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 0.0261 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % 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 United States?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in United States was 9.7% 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 2000.
- How does United States rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- United States ranks 40th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.