Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam
Vietnam: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 9.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam, 1993–2023
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam is 9.4%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 20.3% on the previous year and up 104.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam peaked at 11.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1998.
Vietnam ranks 17th of 93 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 2.9% | — |
| 1998 | 1.4% | -51.7% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | +28.6% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +44.4% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -15.4% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | +22.7% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 3.0% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 5.6% | +86.7% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | -19.6% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 4.6% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | -23.9% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | +51.4% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | +11.3% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | +20.3% |
| 2019 | 7.4% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 7.9% | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 11.8% | +49.4% |
| 2023 | 9.4% | -20.3% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 9.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.6%, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 9.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.9%, 1.9× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 2.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.2% | 5.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 3.5% | 7.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 7.9% | 11.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
- 15 Eswatini 9.8% compare
- 16 United States 9.5% compare
- 18 Chile 9.3% compare
- 18 Kazakhstan 9.3% compare
- 20 Jordan 9.2% compare
More health data for Vietnam
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0536 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,306 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,132 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 27 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.12 % 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 0.0322 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.33 % 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 Vietnam?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Vietnam was 9.4% in 2023, according to UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'.
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 11.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1998.
- How does Vietnam rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Vietnam ranks 17th out of 93 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is up 104.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vietnam data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children', published as part of Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (% 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.