Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (% of children under 5) by country
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.
Countries reporting
93
Highest
17.2%
Tunisia
Lowest
0.5%
Sri Lanka
Median
4.5%
Years covered
41
1984–2024
Data points
858
What the numbers show
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (% of children under 5) is currently reported for 93 countries. The highest value is 17.2% in Tunisia; the lowest is 0.5% in Sri Lanka.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.5%, and the mean is 5.7%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 34.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 48 fell. The largest increase was in Djibouti (up 1,300.0%), and the largest decrease in Timor-Leste (down 77.6%).
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 17.2% | 2018 | up 95.5% | volatile |
| 2 | Russian Federation | 16.9% | 2005 | down 2.3% | flat |
| 3 | Armenia | 13.7% | 2016 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 4 | Mongolia | 12.8% | 2023 | up 21.9% | rising |
| 4 | Algeria | 12.8% | 2019 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 6 | Morocco | 12.7% | 2019 | up 17.6% | rising |
| 7 | Paraguay | 12.4% | 2016 | up 82.4% | rising |
| 8 | South Africa | 11.8% | 2017 | down 9.2% | rising |
| 9 | Saudi Arabia | 11.6% | 2020 | down 9.4% | rising |
| 10 | Uruguay | 11.4% | 2018 | up 35.7% | flat |
| 11 | Cameroon | 11.0% | 2018 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 12 | Thailand | 10.9% | 2022 | unchanged | rising |
| 13 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 10.1% | 2016 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 13 | Egypt | 10.1% | 2021 | down 50.5% | rising |
| 15 | Eswatini | 9.8% | 2021 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 16 | United States of America | 9.5% | 2022 | up 48.4% | rising |
| 17 | Viet Nam | 9.4% | 2023 | up 104.3% | volatile |
| 18 | Chile | 9.3% | 2014 | down 23.1% | falling |
| 18 | Kazakhstan | 9.3% | 2015 | down 45.0% | rising |
| 20 | Jordan | 9.2% | 2023 | up 95.7% | rising |
| 21 | Kyrgyzstan | 8.8% | 2023 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 22 | Palestine, State of | 8.6% | 2020 | up 62.3% | rising |
| 23 | China | 8.5% | 2017 | up 46.6% | flat |
| 24 | Romania | 8.3% | 2002 | up 107.5% | rising |
| 24 | Nicaragua | 8.3% | 2012 | up 15.3% | rising |
| 24 | El Salvador | 8.3% | 2021 | up 45.6% | rising |
| 27 | Türkiye | 8.1% | 2018 | down 17.3% | rising |
| 27 | Kuwait | 8.1% | 2023 | up 9.5% | rising |
| 29 | Lesotho | 7.7% | 2024 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 29 | Dominican Republic | 7.7% | 2019 | down 7.2% | rising |
| 31 | Peru | 7.5% | 2023 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 32 | Mexico | 7.1% | 2022 | down 21.1% | falling |
| 33 | Guyana | 6.5% | 2019 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 33 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 6.5% | 2019 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 35 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 6.4% | 2009 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 36 | Korea | 6.2% | 2020 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 37 | Jamaica | 5.7% | 2018 | down 26.9% | rising |
| 37 | Colombia | 5.7% | 2016 | up 35.7% | rising |
| 39 | Malaysia | 5.6% | 2022 | down 21.1% | flat |
| 39 | Rwanda | 5.6% | 2020 | down 18.8% | flat |
| 41 | Zambia | 5.2% | 2018 | down 38.1% | falling |
| 42 | Guatemala | 4.9% | 2015 | down 5.8% | rising |
| 42 | Maldives | 4.9% | 2017 | down 21.0% | rising |
| 44 | Tajikistan | 4.6% | 2023 | down 31.3% | falling |
| 45 | Honduras | 4.5% | 2019 | down 22.4% | rising |
| 45 | Afghanistan | 4.5% | 2022 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 45 | Ecuador | 4.5% | 2024 | down 43.8% | rising |
| 45 | Uzbekistan | 4.5% | 2021 | down 63.1% | volatile |
| 49 | Liberia | 4.4% | 2019 | up 63.0% | falling |
| 49 | Malawi | 4.4% | 2020 | down 51.1% | volatile |
| 51 | Zimbabwe | 4.3% | 2024 | up 19.4% | falling |
| 51 | Finland | 4.3% | 2023 | up 13.2% | rising |
| 51 | Indonesia | 4.3% | 2023 | down 62.6% | volatile |
| 54 | Djibouti | 4.2% | 2023 | up 1,300.0% | volatile |
| 54 | Oman | 4.2% | 2017 | up 147.1% | volatile |
| 56 | Cambodia | 4.1% | 2021 | up 115.8% | volatile |
| 57 | Azerbaijan | 4.0% | 2023 | down 71.6% | rising |
| 58 | Haiti | 3.9% | 2023 | up 8.3% | falling |
| 58 | Philippines | 3.9% | 2021 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 60 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 3.8% | 2023 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 61 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 3.7% | 2022 | down 27.5% | falling |
| 62 | India | 3.5% | 2020 | up 84.2% | falling |
| 63 | Côte d'Ivoire | 3.4% | 2021 | up 112.5% | falling |
| 63 | Uganda | 3.4% | 2022 | down 41.4% | falling |
| 63 | Kenya | 3.4% | 2022 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 66 | Guinea | 3.3% | 2022 | down 13.2% | falling |
| 67 | Mozambique | 3.2% | 2022 | down 59.0% | falling |
| 68 | Belarus | 3.0% | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 69 | Benin | 2.9% | 2021 | up 93.3% | falling |
| 70 | Sierra Leone | 2.8% | 2021 | up 100.0% | falling |
| 70 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 2.8% | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 72 | Pakistan | 2.5% | 2018 | down 62.1% | falling |
| 73 | Ethiopia | 2.3% | 2019 | up 27.8% | falling |
| 74 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.2% | 2019 | unchanged | falling |
| 74 | Chad | 2.2% | 2022 | down 21.4% | falling |
| 76 | Gambia | 2.1% | 2020 | up 10.5% | falling |
| 77 | Ghana | 2.0% | 2022 | down 23.1% | rising |
| 78 | Madagascar | 1.9% | 2021 | up 90.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Bangladesh | 1.6% | 2022 | down 5.9% | volatile |
| 80 | Togo | 1.5% | 2017 | up 36.4% | falling |
| 80 | Yemen | 1.5% | 2022 | unchanged | volatile |
| 80 | Central African Republic | 1.5% | 2019 | down 16.7% | volatile |
| 80 | Burundi | 1.5% | 2020 | down 48.3% | rising |
| 80 | Nigeria | 1.5% | 2021 | down 50.0% | volatile |
| 80 | Burkina Faso | 1.5% | 2021 | up 114.3% | falling |
| 86 | Mali | 1.4% | 2024 | up 16.7% | volatile |
| 87 | Nepal | 1.3% | 2022 | down 13.3% | volatile |
| 87 | Timor-Leste | 1.3% | 2020 | down 77.6% | volatile |
| 89 | Niger | 1.2% | 2022 | up 50.0% | volatile |
| 90 | Senegal | 1.1% | 2023 | unchanged | volatile |
| 91 | Mauritania | 1.0% | 2021 | down 68.8% | volatile |
| 92 | Myanmar | 0.8% | 2018 | down 69.2% | volatile |
| 93 | Sri Lanka | 0.5% | 2024 | down 16.7% | volatile |
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.