Last updated September 18, 2024
Obesity is an urgent public health issue impacting countries across the globe, with staggering implications for healthcare systems, economies, and most importantly, the health and wellbeing of millions of individuals. The World Health Organization defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. The pervasiveness and gravity of this global epidemic require immediate attention, as over 650 million adults were obese as of 2016. Recent data reveals a strikingly high prevalence of obesity in several nations, with the Pacific Island nations leading the list. The following key findings open up a broader discourse on the severity and pattern of the obesity crisis worldwide:
The ten countries with the highest obesity rates are Nauru, Cook Islands, Palau, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, and Micronesia. Nauru tops the list as the country with the highest amount of obese adults, with a shocking 61.0% of its adult population reported as obese. Coming in close second is the Cook Islands, with an obesity prevalence of 55.9% among adults. The small island nation of Palau is ranked third with 55.3% of its adult population being obese. Next is the Marshall Islands, 52.9% of its adults are categorized as obese. The fifth country with the highest obesity rate is Tuvalu, with an obesity prevalence of 51.6% in adults. Following Tuvalu is Niue, where exactly half of the adult population is reported to be obese. This is closely followed by Tonga with 48.2% and Samoa with 47.3% of adults being classified as obese. Kiribati and Micronesia round off the list, with 46.0% and 45.8% of their respective adult populations reported as being obese. 10 Countries with the Highest Obesity Rates:
The ten countries with the lowest obesity rates are Vietnam, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, India, Nepal, Japan, Ethiopia, South Korea, Eritrea, and Sri Lanka. Vietnam holds the position of the country with the lowest obesity rate with only 2.1% of its adult population being classified as obese. Following closely is Bangladesh with an obesity rate of 3.6%. Timor-Leste holds the third spot with 3.8% of obese adults, and India barely surpasses it with a rate of 3.9%. Nepal enters the chart with a rate of 4.1% obese adults whilst Japan's obesity rate sits at 4.3%. Ethiopia and South Korea report obesity rates at 4.5% and 4.7% respectively. Towards the end of the list, we see Eritrea and Sri Lanka, which both have relatively low obesity rates with each country marking 5.0% and 5.2% respectively among adults. The ten least obese countries, are:
Ranked in World
#175
21.7%
Ranked in World
#85
27.4%
Ranked in World
#38
25.6%
Ranked in World
#50
Ranked in World
#155
18.9%
Ranked in World
#114
28.3%
Ranked in World
#31
20.2%
Ranked in World
#101
29.0%
Ranked in World
#27
20.1%
Ranked in World
#104
19.9%
Ranked in World
#107
31.6%
Ranked in World
#21
29.8%
Ranked in World
#25
Ranked in World
#189
23.1%
Ranked in World
#70
24.5%
Ranked in World
#58
22.1%
Ranked in World
#81
24.1%
Ranked in World
#61
Ranked in World
#141
Ranked in World
#167
20.2%
Ranked in World
#100
17.9%
Ranked in World
#117
18.9%
Ranked in World
#113
22.1%
Ranked in World
#80
14.1%
Ranked in World
#128
25.0%
Ranked in World
#53
Ranked in World
#174
Ranked in World
#177
11.4%
Ranked in World
#134
29.4%
Ranked in World
#26
11.8%
Ranked in World
#133
Ranked in World
#160
Ranked in World
#169
28.0%
Ranked in World
#32
Ranked in World
#168
22.3%
Ranked in World
#78
Ranked in World
#158
55.9%
Ranked in World
#2
25.7%
Ranked in World
#48
24.4%
Ranked in World
#59
24.6%
Ranked in World
#56
21.8%
Ranked in World
#83
26.0%
Ranked in World
#46
Ranked in World
#165
19.7%
Ranked in World
#109
13.5%
Ranked in World
#130
27.9%
Ranked in World
#34
27.6%
Ranked in World
#37
19.9%
Ranked in World
#106
32.0%
Ranked in World
#19
24.6%
Ranked in World
#57
Ranked in World
#157
Ranked in World
#182
21.2%
Ranked in World
#92
16.5%
Ranked in World
#123
Ranked in World
#184
30.2%
Ranked in World
#24
22.2%
Ranked in World
#79
21.6%
Ranked in World
#86
15.0%
Ranked in World
#126
10.3%
Ranked in World
#138
21.7%
Ranked in World
#84
22.3%
Ranked in World
#77
10.9%
Ranked in World
#135
24.9%
Ranked in World
#54
21.3%
Ranked in World
#90
21.2%
Ranked in World
#91
Ranked in World
#159
Ranked in World
#143
20.2%
Ranked in World
#103
22.7%
Ranked in World
#72
21.4%
Ranked in World
#88
26.4%
Ranked in World
#41
21.9%
Ranked in World
#82
Ranked in World
#187
Ranked in World
#163
25.8%
Ranked in World
#47
30.4%
Ranked in World
#23
25.3%
Ranked in World
#51
26.1%
Ranked in World
#45
19.9%
Ranked in World
#105
10.3%
Ranked in World
#137
24.7%
Ranked in World
#55
Ranked in World
#185
35.5%
Ranked in World
#13
21.0%
Ranked in World
#93
Ranked in World
#162
46.0%
Ranked in World
#9
37.9%
Ranked in World
#11
16.6%
Ranked in World
#121
Ranked in World
#180
23.6%
Ranked in World
#65
33.7%
Ranked in World
#16
16.6%
Ranked in World
#122
Ranked in World
#140
32.5%
Ranked in World
#17
26.3%
Ranked in World
#43
22.6%
Ranked in World
#74
Ranked in World
#179
Ranked in World
#172
15.6%
Ranked in World
#124
Ranked in World
#151
Ranked in World
#149
28.9%
Ranked in World
#29
52.9%
Ranked in World
#4
12.7%
Ranked in World
#131
10.8%
Ranked in World
#136
28.9%
Ranked in World
#28
45.8%
Ranked in World
#10
18.9%
Ranked in World
#112
20.6%
Ranked in World
#96
23.3%
Ranked in World
#66
26.1%
Ranked in World
#44
Ranked in World
#161
Ranked in World
#171
17.2%
Ranked in World
#118
61.0%
Ranked in World
#1
Ranked in World
#186
20.4%
Ranked in World
#98
30.8%
Ranked in World
#22
23.7%
Ranked in World
#64
Ranked in World
#176
Ranked in World
#144
50.0%
Ranked in World
#6
Ranked in World
#164
23.1%
Ranked in World
#69
27.0%
Ranked in World
#39
Ranked in World
#147
55.3%
Ranked in World
#3
22.7%
Ranked in World
#73
21.3%
Ranked in World
#89
20.3%
Ranked in World
#99
19.7%
Ranked in World
#108
Ranked in World
#166
23.1%
Ranked in World
#68
20.8%
Ranked in World
#94
35.1%
Ranked in World
#15
Ranked in World
#142
22.5%
Ranked in World
#75
23.1%
Ranked in World
#67
Ranked in World
#173
22.9%
Ranked in World
#71
19.7%
Ranked in World
#110
24.1%
Ranked in World
#62
47.3%
Ranked in World
#8
12.4%
Ranked in World
#132
35.4%
Ranked in World
#14
Ranked in World
#145
21.5%
Ranked in World
#87
14.0%
Ranked in World
#129
Ranked in World
#146
Ranked in World
#170
20.5%
Ranked in World
#97
20.2%
Ranked in World
#102
22.5%
Ranked in World
#76
Ranked in World
#154
28.3%
Ranked in World
#30
Ranked in World
#183
Ranked in World
#150
23.8%
Ranked in World
#63
Ranked in World
#181
Ranked in World
#148
26.4%
Ranked in World
#42
20.6%
Ranked in World
#95
19.5%
Ranked in World
#111
27.8%
Ranked in World
#36
14.2%
Ranked in World
#127
Ranked in World
#152
10.0%
Ranked in World
#139
Ranked in World
#188
Ranked in World
#153
48.2%
Ranked in World
#7
18.6%
Ranked in World
#116
26.9%
Ranked in World
#40
32.1%
Ranked in World
#18
18.6%
Ranked in World
#115
51.6%
Ranked in World
#5
Ranked in World
#178
24.1%
Ranked in World
#60
31.7%
Ranked in World
#20
27.8%
Ranked in World
#35
36.2%
Ranked in World
#12
27.9%
Ranked in World
#33
16.6%
Ranked in World
#120
25.2%
Ranked in World
#52
25.6%
Ranked in World
#49
Ranked in World
#190
17.1%
Ranked in World
#119
Ranked in World
#156
15.5%
Ranked in World
#125
Region ↕ | % of Obese Adults↕ |
---|---|
5.5% | |
21.7% | |
27.4% | |
25.6% | |
8.2% | |
18.9% | |
28.3% | |
20.2% | |
29.0% | |
20.1% | |
19.9% | |
31.6% | |
29.8% | |
3.6% | |
23.1% | |
24.5% | |
22.1% | |
24.1% | |
9.6% | |
6.4% | |
20.2% | |
17.9% | |
18.9% | |
22.1% | |
14.1% | |
25.0% | |
5.6% | |
5.4% | |
11.4% | |
29.4% | |
11.8% | |
7.5% | |
6.1% | |
28.0% | |
6.2% | |
22.3% | |
7.8% | |
55.9% | |
25.7% | |
24.4% | |
24.6% | |
21.8% | |
26.0% | |
6.7% | |
19.7% | |
13.5% | |
27.9% | |
27.6% | |
19.9% | |
32.0% | |
24.6% | |
8.0% | |
5.0% | |
21.2% | |
16.5% | |
4.5% | |
30.2% | |
22.2% | |
21.6% | |
15.0% | |
10.3% | |
21.7% | |
22.3% | |
10.9% | |
24.9% | |
21.3% | |
21.2% | |
7.7% | |
9.5% | |
20.2% | |
22.7% | |
21.4% | |
26.4% | |
21.9% | |
3.9% | |
6.9% | |
25.8% | |
30.4% | |
25.3% | |
26.1% | |
19.9% | |
10.3% | |
24.7% | |
4.3% | |
35.5% | |
21.0% | |
7.1% | |
46.0% | |
37.9% | |
16.6% | |
5.3% | |
23.6% | |
33.7% | |
16.6% | |
9.9% | |
32.5% | |
26.3% | |
22.6% | |
5.3% | |
5.8% | |
15.6% | |
8.6% | |
8.6% | |
28.9% | |
52.9% | |
12.7% | |
10.8% | |
28.9% | |
45.8% | |
18.9% | |
20.6% | |
23.3% | |
26.1% | |
7.2% | |
5.8% | |
17.2% | |
![]() | 61.0% |
4.1% | |
20.4% | |
30.8% | |
23.7% | |
5.5% | |
8.9% | |
50.0% | |
6.8% | |
23.1% | |
27.0% | |
8.6% | |
55.3% | |
22.7% | |
21.3% | |
20.3% | |
19.7% | |
6.4% | |
23.1% | |
20.8% | |
35.1% | |
9.6% | |
22.5% | |
23.1% | |
5.8% | |
22.9% | |
19.7% | |
24.1% | |
47.3% | |
12.4% | |
35.4% | |
8.8% | |
21.5% | |
14.0% | |
8.7% | |
6.1% | |
20.5% | |
20.2% | |
22.5% | |
8.3% | |
28.3% | |
4.7% | |
8.6% | |
23.8% | |
5.2% | |
8.6% | |
26.4% | |
20.6% | |
19.5% | |
27.8% | |
14.2% | |
8.4% | |
10.0% | |
3.8% | |
8.4% | |
48.2% | |
18.6% | |
26.9% | |
32.1% | |
18.6% | |
51.6% | |
5.3% | |
24.1% | |
31.7% | |
27.8% | |
36.2% | |
27.9% | |
16.6% | |
25.2% | |
25.6% | |
2.1% | |
17.1% | |
8.1% | |
15.5% |