Obesity worldwide: the map of the world's weight

02-18-2013

Ami Sedghi

the Guardian

Obesity is in the news again - but how does the UK compare to the rest of the world? The World Health Organisation (WHO) database contains global comparisons of overweight and obesity prevalence broken down over time. The map below shows the overweight and obesity (BMI >= 25 kg/m²) prevalence by gender and country. Click on the map to see the figures by place and use the drop down menu to change year displayed, or explore the table below
 

 

UN_Name
Females (2010), Overweight/ obese %
Males (2010), Overweight/ obese %
Females (2005), Overweight/ obese %
Males (2005), Overweight/ obese %
Females (2002), Overweight/ obese %
Males (2002), Overweight/ obese %
Afghanistan 20.8 15.6 17.4 12.7 15.6 11.2
Albania 52.5 57.2 52.5 57.2 52.5 57.2
Algeria 49.4 37.4 45.6 34.1 43.2 32.1
Andorra 68.7 62.5 66.8 60.9 65.5 59.8
Angola 37.2 23.8 33.6 21.3 31.4 19.9
Antigua and Barbuda 62.1 53.2 59.8 51.2 58.3 50.0
Argentina 71.2 77.7 65.7 73.1 62.1 70.1
Armenia 52.8 53.9 52.8 53.9 52.8 53.9
Australia 66.5 75.7 62.7 72.1 60.2 69.7
Austria 55.2 62.9 53.2 61.0 53.4 59.0
Azerbaijan 56.8 57.4 56.8 57.4 56.8 57.4
Bahamas 65.9 58.7 63.8 57.0 62.5 55.9
Bahrain 69.5 60.9 67.3 60.9 66.0 60.9
Bangladesh 6.7 8.4 5.4 6.7 4.3 5.9
Barbados 83.3 65.1 80.1 59.2 77.8 55.5
Belarus 69.9 63.7 69.9 63.7 69.9 63.7
Belgium 42.9 54.1 40.7 51.9 40.7 49.0
Belize 57.6 47.0 54.9 44.7 53.3 43.3
Benin 43.8 21.9 39.1 17.9 32.8 15.8
Bhutan 49.6 37.7 46.5 35.3 44.7 34.0
Bolivia (Plurinational States of) 73.2 62.4 68.0 56.3 64.4 52.5
Bosnia and Herzegovina 51.0 56.6 51.0 56.6 51.0 56.6
Botswana 53.5 41.6 49.4 37.8 46.9 35.5
Brazil 60.3 54.0 53.5 47.4 49.2 43.4
Brunei Darussalam 65.2 58.1 63.2 56.4 61.9 55.3
Bulgaria 45.5 62.8 45.5 62.8 45.5 62.8
Burkina Faso 19.4 15.1 16.0 12.1 15.8 10.6
Burundi 21.1 9.1 18.1 7.8 16.3 7.0
Cambodia 13.8 21.4 9.3 13.3 7.1 9.6
Cameroon 45.8 43.9 41.1 38.7 38.3 35.7
Canada 59.5 66.9 57.1 65.1 55.9 64.5
Cape Verde 48.0 35.6 44.1 32.4 41.8 30.5
Central African Republic 20.0 8.0 18.5 7.2 17.7 6.7
Chad 22.9 15.0 19.2 12.0 17.1 10.4
Chile 73.3 68.4 68.0 62.6 64.4 58.9
China 32.0 45.0 24.7 33.1 22.7 27.5
Colombia 61.1 62.6 54.6 56.5 55.1 52.7
Comoros 40.7 24.3 35.9 20.0 33.1 17.7
Congo 26.8 13.8 25.2 12.7 24.2 12.0
Cook Islands 90.3 93.4 89.2 92.6 88.5 92.0
Costa Rica 63.8 60.1 57.8 53.9 56.2 49.8
Cote d'Ivoire 36.0 12.7 34.2 11.6 32.5 10.9
Croatia 48.3 63.5 46.4 61.3 45.3 60.0
Cuba 67.2 65.4 61.1 59.2 57.0 55.2
Cyprus 63.0 53.9 60.6 51.7 59.0 50.4
Czech Republic 49.3 60.1 47.8 58.1 47.0 56.7
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 49.7 35.5 46.2 32.7 44.0 31.0
Democratic Republic of the Congo 15.8 5.7 13.3 4.8 11.9 4.3
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste 51.1 39.5 48.2 37.2 46.4 35.9
Denmark 41.4 55.0 39.1 52.5 37.5 50.7
Djibouti 34.5 21.2 31.0 18.9 28.8 17.6
Dominica 80.8 70.8 77.1 65.1 74.4 61.5
Dominican Republic 71.7 53.4 66.4 46.6 62.8 42.5
Ecuador 55.5 44.0 52.6 41.7 50.9 40.2
Egypt 76.0 64.5 74.2 64.5 69.7 64.5
El Salvador 56.8 45.8 54.0 43.5 52.3 42.1
Equatorial Guinea 52.3 41.0 48.5 37.5 46.1 35.4
Eritrea 6.3 3.5 5.7 3.1 5.9 2.9
Estonia 33.8 50.7 33.8 50.7 33.8 50.7
Ethiopia 3.7 8.6 3.3 7.8 3.1 7.4
Fiji 69.5 47.5 65.6 43.9 63.4 42.7
Finland 54.5 67.1 52.4 64.9 52.0 63.8
France 36.9 48.0 34.7 45.6 33.4 44.1
Gabon 52.2 30.2 47.7 25.4 45.0 22.7
Gambia 27.0 12.8 22.8 10.3 20.5 9.0
Georgia 53.8 41.5 50.8 38.9 48.9 37.4
Germany 57.1 67.2 55.1 65.1 53.6 63.7
Ghana 32.5 35.6 28.1 30.3 26.2 27.3
Greece 63.2 77.5 61.3 75.7 60.1 74.6
Grenada 60.4 50.8 58.0 48.7 56.4 47.4
Guatemala 70.9 62.9 65.4 56.9 61.1 53.2
Guinea 34.9 20.3 30.4 16.5 27.8 14.5
Guinea-Bissau 25.1 12.9 22.1 11.4 20.3 10.5
Guyana 55.8 44.4 52.9 42.1 51.2 40.6
Haiti 57.7 19.0 50.6 15.1 39.8 13.0
Honduras 52.5 40.1 49.4 37.6 47.5 36.2
Hungary 47.4 55.9 47.4 55.9 47.4 55.9
Iceland 63.7 61.2 61.7 59.0 60.5 57.7
India 18.1 20.1 15.2 16.8 13.7 15.0
Indonesia 27.1 9.9 22.7 9.7 20.3 9.6
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 60.2 48.5 57.8 48.5 55.7 47.3
Iraq 53.6 42.4 50.8 40.1 49.0 38.7
Ireland 43.9 53.9 41.7 51.5 40.3 50.0
Israel 59.3 59.4 57.5 57.2 56.3 55.9
Italy 40.0 55.0 38.3 52.7 37.8 51.9
Jamaica 79.0 46.8 74.7 40.0 71.8 36.0
Japan 16.2 29.8 18.1 27.0 18.6 25.3
Jordan 65.4 57.5 63.4 57.5 67.3 57.5
Kazakhstan 38.9 43.9 38.9 43.9 41.9 43.9
Kenya 23.3 7.7 21.7 6.9 21.3 6.5
Kiribati 77.1 76.1 73.9 73.2 71.9 71.4
Kuwait 80.4 69.5 79.0 69.5 76.6 69.5
Kyrgyzstan 43.9 34.5 43.9 34.5 43.9 34.5
Lao People's Democratic Republic 49.2 34.9 45.6 32.1 43.5 30.4
Latvia 44.7 49.9 44.7 49.9 44.7 49.9
Lebanon 56.7 51.7 54.3 51.7 52.9 51.7
Lesotho 70.8 29.5 69.5 27.5 68.7 26.3
Liberia 45.4 32.7 41.6 29.6 39.2 27.8
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 59.8 50.8 57.5 48.8 56.0 47.6
Lithuania 43.9 62.3 43.9 62.3 43.9 62.3
Luxembourg 56.2 56.9 54.0 54.4 52.6 53.0
Madagascar 24.1 17.5 20.2 14.5 18.1 12.9
Malawi 25.2 16.4 23.5 15.1 21.6 14.3
Malaysia 42.2 23.0 37.2 22.7 34.2 22.5
Maldives 50.8 36.6 47.6 32.3 45.7 29.7
Mali 38.4 18.1 33.6 14.6 26.1 12.8
Malta 67.6 73.3 66.1 71.4 65.1 70.2
Marshall Islands 54.7 43.0 51.8 40.6 50.0 39.1
Mauritania 58.6 35.4 54.6 30.4 52.2 27.5
Mauritius 56.8 44.8 52.3 39.0 49.5 35.6
Mexico 73.0 73.6 67.9 68.4 65.6 64.6
Micronesia, Federated States of 91.1 93.1 90.1 92.1 89.5 91.5
Monaco 67.6 60.9 65.6 59.1 64.3 58.0
Mongolia 74.4 64.1 69.3 53.0 65.8 46.0
Morocco 57.5 31.1 54.7 31.1 53.0 31.1
Mozambique 26.9 10.3 25.3 9.3 24.3 8.7
Myanmar 47.0 32.3 43.3 29.4 41.1 27.8
Namibia 34.4 13.5 32.6 12.3 31.5 11.6
Nauru 93.0 96.9 92.4 96.5 92.0 96.3
Nepal 9.9 11.0 8.0 8.8 8.0 7.7
Netherlands 46.1 50.2 44.0 48.0 42.6 46.7
New Zealand 74.2 73.9 68.2 68.7 64.0 65.2
Nicaragua 73.1 59.4 68.1 52.9 62.9 48.9
Niger 25.1 17.2 21.3 13.9 19.6 12.1
Nigeria 36.8 26.0 32.2 21.9 29.6 19.6
Niue 86.7 80.9 85.0 78.5 83.8 76.9
Norway 45.8 57.2 43.4 54.8 42.0 53.3
Oman 50.8 43.4 47.8 43.4 46.0 43.4
Pakistan 29.5 22.8 25.5 18.8 23.2 16.7
Palau 84.5 77.2 82.4 74.5 81.0 72.7
Panama 58.9 48.7 56.3 46.5 54.7 45.2
Papua New Guinea 34.0 35.3 29.0 31.5 26.1 29.2
Paraguay 56.0 44.7 53.2 42.3 51.4 40.9
Peru 70.1 60.9 64.7 54.6 62.7 50.8
Philippines 33.6 22.2 28.5 21.9 25.4 21.7
Poland 44.3 50.7 44.3 50.7 44.3 50.7
Portugal 51.2 60.9 49.2 58.5 47.6 55.5
Qatar 65.9 59.5 64.1 57.9 62.9 56.9
Republic of Korea 51.0 51.5 43.8 40.2 38.2 32.8
Republic of Moldova 50.7 37.5 47.4 34.8 45.4 33.3
Romania 40.6 37.7 40.6 37.7 40.6 37.7
Russian Federation 51.7 46.5 51.7 46.5 51.7 46.5
Rwanda 21.7 8.1 20.1 7.3 19.2 6.8
Saint Kitts and Nevis 62.6 53.9 60.3 52.0 58.9 50.7
Saint Lucia 74.1 52.5 69.1 45.5 65.7 41.3
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 58.3 47.9 55.7 45.6 54.0 44.3
Samoa 84.1 81.1 82.1 78.7 80.7 77.2
San Marino 67.4 60.5 65.4 58.8 64.1 57.6
Sao Tome and Principe 30.5 17.5 27.2 15.5 25.2 14.4
Saudi Arabia 65.9 63.1 63.8 63.1 63.0 62.4
Senegal 41.0 19.2 36.7 16.1 34.1 14.4
Serbia and Montenegro (The former state union of) 48.5 61.2 48.5 61.2 48.5 61.2
Seychelles 73.8 63.8 70.7 58.5 68.6 55.1
Sierra Leone 49.1 26.3 44.5 22.4 41.6 20.2
Singapore 26.7 24.1 22.0 23.8 20.7 23.6
Slovakia 62.9 54.0 60.6 52.0 59.1 50.7
Slovenia 65.7 57.9 63.5 56.0 62.1 54.8
Solomon Islands 52.9 40.7 49.9 38.2 48.0 36.8
Somalia 24.0 12.1 21.1 10.6 19.3 9.8
South Africa 68.5 41.3 67.2 39.3 66.4 38.2
Spain 49.8 57.9 47.7 55.8 45.7 55.7
Sri Lanka 7.9 9.1 5.9 8.9 5.0 8.8
Sudan 32.5 19.3 29.1 17.2 27.0 16.0
Suriname 56.1 44.8 53.2 42.4 51.5 41.0
Swaziland 51.9 39.5 47.8 35.8 45.2 33.6
Sweden 47.2 57.0 44.9 54.5 43.3 51.7
Switzerland 58.9 56.5 56.7 54.1 53.8 52.4
Syrian Arab Republic 59.6 50.4 57.2 48.4 55.7 47.2
Tajikistan 47.4 33.5 43.9 30.8 41.8 29.2
Thailand 39.9 28.3 35.2 27.9 32.5 27.7
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 57.4 37.1 57.4 37.1 57.4 37.1
Togo 35.5 20.9 30.9 17.1 28.3 15.0
Tonga 92.1 91.4 91.4 90.3 90.9 89.5
Trinidad and Tobago 80.8 65.2 77.0 58.9 74.4 54.8
Tunisia 61.4 42.8 59.2 42.8 57.9 42.8
Turkey 65.7 47.9 65.7 47.9 65.4 47.9
Turkmenistan 45.5 48.1 45.5 48.1 45.5 48.1
Tuvalu 62.9 54.4 60.7 52.5 59.2 51.2
Uganda 23.9 8.2 22.2 7.4 20.1 6.9
Ukraine 48.5 41.2 48.5 41.2 48.5 41.2
United Arab Emirates 71.6 66.9 69.6 66.9 68.4 66.9
United Kingdom 63.8 67.8 61.9 65.7 58.8 62.5
United Republic of Tanzania 28.7 16.8 27.0 15.4 26.0 14.7
United States 76.7 80.5 72.6 75.6 69.8 72.2
Uruguay 64.4 69.3 58.1 63.6 54.1 60.0
Uzbekistan 49.9 42.0 49.9 42.0 44.3 42.0
Vanuatu 67.2 60.2 62.9 56.3 60.1 54.0
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 67.3 74.4 61.4 69.1 57.5 65.6
Viet Nam 12.2 7.5 8.7 4.1 7.0 2.7
Yemen 32.2 24.6 29.4 24.6 27.8 24.6
Zambia 20.0 8.3 18.6 7.5 20.2 7.0
Zimbabwe 50.6 16.7 48.9 15.3 47.2 14.5