John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
Obesity worldwide - Statistics & Facts
Obesity remains one of the most urgent health problems around the world, affecting not just wealthy countries but increasingly low- and middle-income countries as well. Being overweight or obese increases one’s risk of developing other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers and is stigmatized in many countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies an adult as overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25, and obese if they have a BMI greater than or equal to 30. In 2020, it was estimated that around 42 percent of the world's population aged 20 years and older were overweight or obese. By the year 2035, this figure is expected to reach 46 percent. Furthermore, the global economic impact of overweight and obesity is predicted to increase from 1.96 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 to 4.32 trillion U.S. dollars in 2035. When asked what the biggest health problems facing their country were, a survey from 2023 of people from 31 different countries found that obesity was ranked fourth, behind mental health, cancer, and stress.
What are the most obese countries?
Although overweight and obesity are global problems, rates of obesity can differ drastically from country to country. The countries with the highest share of women that are overweight or obese are Tonga, Samoa, and Kuwait, while the countries with the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity among men are Tonga, Samoa, and the United States. On the South Pacific island of Tonga, an astonishing 87 percent of women and 80 percent of men are overweight or obese. The United States is well known for it’s struggles with obesity and when compared with similarly wealthy countries, the U.S. has a much higher rate of obesity than its counterparts. Around 33 percent of both men and women in the United States self-report that they are obese, compared to 19 percent of women and men in Germany, and just 3.2 percent of women and 5.3 percent of men in South Korea.Obesity among children and adolescents
The problem of obesity among children and adolescents is particularly alarming as obese children have a greater chance of being obese in adulthood or experiencing disability or premature death as adults. In 2020, around 10 percent of boys and eight percent of girls aged 5 to 19 years worldwide were considered obese, with these numbers expected to double by the year 2035. Although rates of obesity are expected to increase for both boys and girls, boys are more likely to be obese. In 2020, the Americas was the region with the highest share of boys who were obese, but by 2035 the Western Pacific is predicted to have the highest share of boys aged 5 to 19 years suffering from obesity with around 41 percent. The simplest ways for children and adults alike to lose weight and avoid becoming overweight or obese are by eating a healthy and balanced diet and through physical exercise.
