Obesity Rate (Adults)

Prevalence of obesity among adults (BMI >= 30), age-standardized.

Latest available data

This page uses the latest available WHO observation (2022). Country-level datasets often lag the current calendar year because they depend on official reporting and validation.

WHO 2022

What is the global average Obesity Rate (Adults)?

The global average Obesity Rate (Adults) is 24.72 % of adults as of 2022. American Samoa has the highest at 75.21 % of adults, while Cambodia has the lowest at 4.36 % of adults. Data covers 195 countries. Source: WHO.

World Average
24.72 % of adults
Highest
American Samoa
75.21 % of adults
Lowest
Cambodia
4.36 % of adults
Countries with Data
195
2022

Top Countries

#1 American Samoa 75.21 % of adults
#2 Tonga 71.65 % of adults
#3 Nauru 69.92 % of adults
#4 Tokelau 69.82 % of adults
#5 Cook Islands 68.92 % of adults

Regional Averages

Oceania
49.44 % of adults
19 country
Americas
31.79 % of adults
38 country
Europe
22.09 % of adults
41 country
Asia
21.89 % of adults
45 country
Africa
15.06 % of adults
52 country

Country Rankings

View full rankings
Obesity Rate (Adults) — Country Rankings (2022)
# Country Value
1 American Samoa 75.21 % of adults
2 Tonga 71.65 % of adults
3 Nauru 69.92 % of adults
4 Tokelau 69.82 % of adults
5 Cook Islands 68.92 % of adults
6 Niue 66.58 % of adults
7 Tuvalu 64.2 % of adults
8 Samoa 62.43 % of adults
9 French Polynesia 48.09 % of adults
10 Bahamas 47.26 % of adults
11 Micronesia 47.1 % of adults
12 Kiribati 46.3 % of adults
13 Marshall Islands 45.9 % of adults
14 Saint Kitts and Nevis 45.64 % of adults
15 Egypt 44.27 % of adults
16 Qatar 43.14 % of adults
17 Belize 42.32 % of adults
18 United States 41.99 % of adults
19 Kuwait 41.42 % of adults
20 Palau 41.14 % of adults
21 Puerto Rico 41.13 % of adults
22 Saudi Arabia 40.6 % of adults
23 Iraq 40.49 % of adults
24 Chile 38.91 % of adults
25 Jordan 38.51 % of adults
26 Barbados 38.02 % of adults
27 Palestine 37.56 % of adults
28 Libya 36.71 % of adults
29 Bahrain 36.13 % of adults
30 Panama 36.07 % of adults
31 Mexico 36.03 % of adults
32 Argentina 35.36 % of adults
33 Georgia 34.66 % of adults
34 Romania 34.04 % of adults
35 Syria 33.94 % of adults
36 Fiji 33.84 % of adults
37 Jamaica 33.81 % of adults
38 Nicaragua 33.63 % of adults
39 New Zealand 33.62 % of adults
40 Saint Lucia 33.47 % of adults
41 Uruguay 33.34 % of adults
42 Turkey 33.3 % of adults
43 Antigua and Barbuda 33.25 % of adults
44 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 33.25 % of adults
45 Bermuda 32.99 % of adults
46 Paraguay 32.96 % of adults
47 Malta 32.29 % of adults
48 United Arab Emirates 32.08 % of adults
49 Brunei 31.71 % of adults
50 Hungary 31.7 % of adults
51 Costa Rica 31.39 % of adults
52 Dominica 31.34 % of adults
53 Oman 31.1 % of adults
54 El Salvador 30.88 % of adults
55 South Africa 30.82 % of adults
56 Croatia 30.62 % of adults
57 Grenada 30.25 % of adults
58 Australia 30.24 % of adults
59 Eswatini 30.09 % of adults
60 Uzbekistan 30.03 % of adults
61 Lebanon 29.78 % of adults
62 Honduras 29.49 % of adults
63 Seychelles 29.36 % of adults
64 Dominican Republic 29.34 % of adults
65 Suriname 29.02 % of adults
66 Bolivia 28.68 % of adults
67 Guyana 28.46 % of adults
68 Ireland 28.35 % of adults
69 Brazil 28.14 % of adults
70 Trinidad and Tobago 28.05 % of adults
71 Greece 27.98 % of adults
72 North Macedonia 27.54 % of adults
73 Poland 27.5 % of adults
74 Ecuador 27.38 % of adults
75 Peru 27.29 % of adults
76 Greenland 27.04 % of adults
77 Tunisia 26.83 % of adults
78 Slovakia 26.82 % of adults
79 United Kingdom 26.82 % of adults
80 Guatemala 26.81 % of adults
81 Kyrgyzstan 26.6 % of adults
82 Azerbaijan 26.55 % of adults
83 Canada 26.23 % of adults
84 Czechia 25.98 % of adults
85 Lithuania 25.36 % of adults
86 Armenia 24.51 % of adults
87 Latvia 24.27 % of adults
88 Iran 24.27 % of adults
89 Russia 24.19 % of adults
90 Mongolia 24.11 % of adults
91 Algeria 23.81 % of adults
92 Tajikistan 23.79 % of adults
93 Ukraine 23.63 % of adults
94 Colombia 23.62 % of adults
95 Albania 23.36 % of adults
96 Pakistan 23.01 % of adults
97 Moldova 22.97 % of adults
98 Cyprus 22.94 % of adults
99 Venezuela 22.72 % of adults
100 Mauritania 22.69 % of adults
101 Solomon Islands 22.6 % of adults
102 Serbia 22.51 % of adults
103 Israel 22.49 % of adults
104 Estonia 22.16 % of adults
105 Malaysia 22.1 % of adults
106 Portugal 21.79 % of adults
107 Morocco 21.78 % of adults
108 Cuba 21.76 % of adults
109 Finland 21.51 % of adults
110 Turkmenistan 21.4 % of adults
111 Belarus 21.37 % of adults
112 Vanuatu 21.28 % of adults
113 Iceland 21.23 % of adults
114 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.19 % of adults
115 Gabon 21.02 % of adults
116 Lesotho 21 % of adults
117 Bulgaria 20.59 % of adults
118 Papua New Guinea 20.52 % of adults
119 Germany 20.4 % of adults
120 Belgium 20.03 % of adults
121 Slovenia 19.44 % of adults
122 Mauritius 19.23 % of adults
123 Afghanistan 19.22 % of adults
124 Norway 19.15 % of adults
125 Luxembourg 18.43 % of adults
126 Kazakhstan 18.38 % of adults
127 Botswana 18.29 % of adults
128 Andorra 18.1 % of adults
129 Montenegro 18 % of adults
130 Equatorial Guinea 17.67 % of adults
131 Maldives 17.3 % of adults
132 Italy 17.29 % of adults
133 Liberia 17.01 % of adults
134 Sudan 17.01 % of adults
135 Namibia 16.97 % of adults
136 São Tomé and Príncipe 16.46 % of adults
137 Comoros 16.28 % of adults
138 Cape Verde 15.77 % of adults
139 Spain 15.67 % of adults
140 Thailand 15.38 % of adults
141 Austria 15.37 % of adults
142 Sweden 15.27 % of adults
143 Gambia 14.93 % of adults
144 Cameroon 14.88 % of adults
145 Somalia 14.61 % of adults
146 Netherlands 14.54 % of adults
147 Zimbabwe 14.21 % of adults
148 Singapore 13.88 % of adults
149 Yemen 13.65 % of adults
150 Denmark 13.28 % of adults
151 Ghana 12.93 % of adults
152 Tanzania 12.58 % of adults
153 Kenya 12.41 % of adults
154 Nigeria 12.36 % of adults
155 Bhutan 12.18 % of adults
156 Switzerland 12.11 % of adults
157 Ivory Coast 11.64 % of adults
158 Togo 11.56 % of adults
159 Angola 11.47 % of adults
160 Guinea-Bissau 11.47 % of adults
161 Mali 11.37 % of adults
162 Djibouti 11.35 % of adults
163 Indonesia 11.23 % of adults
164 Benin 11.17 % of adults
165 Zambia 11.08 % of adults
166 North Korea 10.8 % of adults
167 Haiti 10.69 % of adults
168 Sri Lanka 10.56 % of adults
169 Mozambique 10.26 % of adults
170 Senegal 10.21 % of adults
171 France 9.7 % of adults
172 Guinea 9.53 % of adults
173 Central African Republic 9.3 % of adults
174 Philippines 8.74 % of adults
175 South Sudan 8.6 % of adults
176 Republic of the Congo 8.54 % of adults
177 China 8.28 % of adults
178 Laos 8.01 % of adults
179 Uganda 7.9 % of adults
180 Malawi 7.74 % of adults
181 Myanmar 7.43 % of adults
182 South Korea 7.33 % of adults
183 India 7.27 % of adults
184 Sierra Leone 7.13 % of adults
185 Nepal 6.99 % of adults
186 Burkina Faso 6.75 % of adults
187 Chad 6.69 % of adults
188 DR Congo 6.64 % of adults
189 Niger 5.97 % of adults
190 Japan 5.54 % of adults
191 Bangladesh 5.3 % of adults
192 Burundi 5.02 % of adults
193 Rwanda 4.92 % of adults
194 Eritrea 4.83 % of adults
195 Cambodia 4.36 % of adults

Definition

Obesity rate for adults measures the percentage of the population aged 18 and older having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. This indicator reflects the prevalence of excessive fat accumulation that poses a health risk. It is age-standardized to allow for meaningful comparisons between countries with different age distributions and demographic profiles.

How it is calculated

The World Health Organization calculates this rate by dividing the number of adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² (6.14 lb/ft²) or more by the total adult population. Data is collected through national health surveys using physical measurements of weight and height rather than self-reported figures. Researchers then apply age-standardization to adjust for differences in population age structures across 199 countries.

Interpretation

High values indicate a significant public health challenge, as obesity is a primary risk factor for non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. Lower values generally suggest healthier dietary patterns or higher physical activity levels. Public health experts often consider rates below 5 percent to be exceptionally low by global standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

The adult obesity rate measures the proportion of people aged 18 and older with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher. This statistical indicator helps health organizations track the prevalence of excessive weight within a population. It is a critical metric for assessing the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes across different regions.

According to the latest available data, American Samoa has the highest adult obesity rate, reaching approximately 75.2 percent. This figure represents one of the most significant public health challenges globally, significantly exceeding the global average. High rates in certain regions are often attributed to rapid shifts in dietary habits and limited access to fresh, local foods.

Recent data indicates that Vietnam has the lowest adult obesity rate among the 199 countries surveyed, at approximately 2.0 percent. This low prevalence is often linked to traditional dietary patterns that emphasize vegetables and lean proteins, as well as high levels of physical activity. Vietnam consistently ranks as the country with the leanest adult population in recent estimates.

Obesity is calculated using the Body Mass Index (BMI) formula, which divides a person's weight in kg (lb) by the square of their height in m (ft). For adults, a BMI of 30 or higher is classified as obese. National rates are derived from representative health surveys that measure the physical dimensions of the adult population.

About this data
Source
WHO NCD_BMI_30A
Definition
Prevalence of obesity among adults (BMI >= 30), age-standardized.
Coverage
Data for 195 countries (2022)
Limitations
Coverage varies by country and reporting period.