Obesity Rates by Country 2022

A person’s weight is deemed overweight or obese if it is above the healthy range for that person’s height. A person’s weight is influenced by a variety of things, including the foods they consume, their heredity, their environment, and their metabolism.




Obesity is connected to various health problems and illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, several cancers, and stroke.

Obesity is also the most common avoidable cause of mortality. More individuals are overweight or obese now than at any time in history, despite the severe health consequences. Obesity is now considered a global problem in almost every country.

Overweight and obesity among adults have almost quadrupled since 1975, with 13% of individuals classified as obese and 39% as overweight worldwide.

BMI is defined as

The Body Mass Index, or BMI, is the most widely used measure for determining obesity since it takes the square of a person’s weight (in kilograms) and height (in meters). BMI scores are categorized as follows:

  • BMI under 18.5 = underweight
  • BMI 18.5 to <25 = healthy
  • BMI 25 to <30 = overweight
  • BMI 30 to <35 = obese (class 1)
  • BMI 35 to <40 = obese (class 2)
  • BMI 40 or higher = obese (class 3 – morbid)




BMI isn’t a great indicator of a person’s health. A false positive score may be assigned to athletes whose high BMIs are not owing to an abundance of fat but rather to an abundance of muscle.

In 2016, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson weighed 215 pounds at 5’11” and had a BMI of 30.0, which is considered obese.

Lebron James, the NBA star and health nut, was diagnosed as overweight in 2012 with a BMI of 27.5. In response to this error, many medical specialists are now using the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), which measures a person’s waist circumference to their height.

Someone is considered obese if their waist circumference is more than half their height or more than 6/10 their height in the case of someone older than fifty.

WHtR is believed to be more accurate than BMI, although it is a lot more recent development. WHtR may eventually replace BMI as the most commonly used weight health measurement.




Obesity by Country

There are huge disparities in obesity prevalence among countries because of the wide range of lifestyles and dietary practices.

Although there is no clear association between a country’s economic position and its obesity prevalence; yet, richer nations have more resources to launch programs and campaigns to increase awareness and educate people about what they’re eating.

These are some of the world’s wealthiest nations. In certain parts of the globe, obesity rates have risen at an alarming pace during the previous five years. Healthier habits and regular physical activity are being promoted by several governments, such as the one in the United States.

The World’s 10 Most Obese Countries

The Cook Islands has the highest average BMI in the world, with a BMI of 32.9. Afterward, Nauru clocks in at 32.5, followed by Niue at 32.4. The average BMI in Samoa and Tonga is 32.2.

Tuvalu (30.8), Kiribati (30.1), Saint Lucia (30.0), Micornesia (29.7), and Egypt round out the top 10 most obese nations (29.6). The fact that all eight of these nations are situated in the South Pacific is what unites them.




When the proportion of obese individuals is considered, the ranking takes on a distinct appearance. Nauru has the highest rate of obese adults in the world, with 61 percent of individuals falling into this category.

The Cook Islands come in second with 55.9% of the vote, followed by Palau with 55.3%. Only the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Niue have adult populations that are more than 50% overweight or obese (50% ).

Kiribati and Micronesia round out the top five: Tonga (48.2%), Samoa (47.3%), and Kiribati (45.8% ). St. Lucia and Egypt are the only two non-Oceania countries to cut any list of Pacific island states. Many individuals in these nations are concerned about type 2 diabetes.

Fast food, frying, genetic predispositions, and other factors have all been linked to obesity in this area, plagued by a spike in obesity rates in recent decades.

America has the world’s 12th highest obesity rate at 36.2%. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates in the United States range from 23% to 38% in different states. Dietary, environmental, and cultural variables account for this global variability.

To a large extent, this may be attributed to the fact that the average American is getting conflicting information about what foods to consume and in what quantities.




Many Americans choose to eat quick, inexpensive, and filling choices such as processed packaged food, fast food, and larger amounts. At the same time, they are bombarded with commercials urging physical exercise and healthy nutrition.

This typically results in a diet high in fat, calories, and sodium (the “butter, sugar, salt” trinity) but poor in vitamins and essentials.

Top 10 Countries with the Lowest Obesity Rates

When looking at average BMI, three nations tie for the least obese country in the world, with just an average BMI of 21.1: Madagascar, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. India (21.9) and Timor-Leste (21.3) are the only nations with average BMIs below 22. (21.9). Burkina Faso (22.1) and Bangladesh (22.0) round out the top five.

Japan’s presence may not be unexpected considering the country’s healthy diet, which stresses seafood, freshness, moderate quantities, and minimum added sugar or dairy fat (as evidenced by the fact that Japanese life expectancy is among the highest on Earth).




Famine and poverty are hardly the best ways to lose weight, yet many nations on this list are in this situation. You can find a complete list of the world’s nations and their obesity rates and BMIs in the table below.

Here are the top 10 countries with the greatest obesity rates:

Also See: Most Obese Countries 2022

  1. Nauru (61.00%)
  2. Cook Islands (55.90%)
  3. Palau (55.30%)
  4. Marshall Islands (52.90%)
  5. Tuvalu (51.60%)
  6. Niue (50.00%)
  7. Tonga (48.20%)
  8. Samoa (47.30%)
  9. Kiribati (46.00%)
  10. Micronesia (45.80%)




Country% of Obese Adults2022 Population
Nauru6110.9030
Cook Islands55.900017.5710
Palau55.300018.2330
Marshall Islands52.900060.0570
Tuvalu51.600012.0660
Niue501.6220
Tonga48.2000107.7490
Samoa47.3000202.2390
Kiribati46123.4190
Micronesia45.8000117.4890
Kuwait37.90004380.3260
United States36.2000334805.2690
Jordan35.500010300.8690
Saudi Arabia35.400035844.9090
Qatar35.10002979.9150
Lebanon33.70006684.8490
Libya32.50007040.7450
Turkey32.100085561.9760
Egypt32106156.6920
United Arab Emirates31.700010081.7850
Bahamas31.6000400.5160
New Zealand30.80004898.2030
Iraq30.400042164.9650
Fiji30.2000909.4660
Bahrain29.80001783.9830
Canada29.400038388.4190
Australia2926068.7920
Mexico28.9000131562.7720
Malta28.9000444.0330
South Africa28.300060756.1350
Argentina28.300046010.2340
Chile2819250.1950
Uruguay27.90003496.0160
Dominica27.900072.3440
United Kingdom27.800068497.9070
Syria27.800019364.8090
Dominican Republic27.600011056.3700
Algeria27.400045350.1480
Oman275323.9930
Tunisia26.900012046.6560
Hungary26.40009606.2590
Suriname26.4000596.8310
Lithuania26.30002661.7080
Morocco26.100037772.7560
Israel26.10008922.8920
Czech Republic2610736.7840
Iran25.800086022.8370
Costa Rica25.70005182.3540
Venezuela25.600029266.9910
Andorra25.600077.4630
Ireland25.30005020.1990
Vanuatu25.2000321.8320
Bulgaria256844.5970
Greece24.900010316.6370
Jamaica24.70002985.0940
Cuba24.600011305.6520
El Salvador24.60006550.3890
Belarus24.50009432.8000
Croatia24.40004059.2860
Ukraine24.100043192.1220
Belize24.1000412.1900
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines24.1000111.5510
Spain23.800046719.1420
Nicaragua23.70006779.1000
Latvia23.60001848.8370
Montenegro23.3000627.9500
Russia23.1000145805.9470
Poland23.100037739.7850
Norway23.10005511.3700
Barbados23.1000288.0230
Saint Kitts and Nevis22.900053.8710
Haiti22.700011680.2830
Panama22.70004446.9640
Luxembourg22.6000642.3710
Romania22.500019031.3350
Solomon Islands22.5000721.1590
Germany22.300083883.5960
Colombia22.300051512.7620
Finland22.20005554.9600
Brazil22.1000215353.5930
Belgium22.100011668.2780
Iceland21.9000345.3930
Cyprus21.80001223.3870
Georgia21.70003968.7380
Albania21.70002866.3740
France21.600065584.5180
Serbia21.50008653.0160
Honduras21.400010221.2470
Papua New Guinea21.30009292.1690
Grenada21.3000113.4750
Guatemala21.200018584.0390
Estonia21.20001321.9100
Kazakhstan2119205.0430
Portugal20.800010140.5700
Sweden20.600010218.9710
Mongolia20.60003378.0780
Slovakia20.50005460.1930
Netherlands20.400017211.4470
Paraguay20.30007305.8430
Bolivia20.200011992.6560
Armenia20.20002971.9660
Slovenia20.20002078.0340
Guyana20.2000794.0450
Austria20.10009066.7100
Italy19.900060262.7700
Ecuador19.900018113.3610
Azerbaijan19.900010300.2050
Peru19.700033684.2080
Denmark19.70005834.9500
Saint Lucia19.7000185.1130
Switzerland19.50008773.6370
Moldova18.90004013.1710
Botswana18.90002441.1620
Antigua and Barbuda18.900099.5090
Turkmenistan18.60006201.9430
Trinidad and Tobago18.60001406.5850
Bosnia and Herzegovina17.90003249.3170
Namibia17.20002633.8740
Yemen17.100031154.8670
Uzbekistan16.600034382.0840
Kyrgyzstan16.60006728.2710
Lesotho16.60002175.6990
Eswatini16.50001184.8170
Malaysia15.600033181.0720
Zimbabwe15.500015331.4280
Gabon152331.5330
Tajikistan14.20009957.4640
Brunei14.1000445.4310
Seychelles1499.4260
Djibouti13.50001016.0970
Mauritania12.70004901.9810
Sao Tome and Principe12.4000227.6790
Cape Verde11.8000567.6780
Cameroon11.400027911.5480
Ghana10.900032395.4500
Mauritius10.80001274.7270
Ivory Coast10.300027742.2980
Gambia10.30002558.4820
Thailand1070078.2030
Liberia9.90005305.1170
Benin9.600012784.7260
Republic of the Congo9.60005797.8050
Guinea-Bissau9.50002063.3670
Nigeria8.9000216746.9340
Senegal8.800017653.6710
Sierra Leone8.70008306.4360
Pakistan8.6000229488.9940
Sudan8.600045992.0200
Mali8.600021473.7640
South Sudan8.600011618.5110
Maldives8.6000540.9850
Tanzania8.400063298.5500
Togo8.40008680.8370
Somalia8.300016841.7950
Angola8.200035027.3430
Zambia8.100019470.2340
Equatorial Guinea81496.6620
Comoros7.8000907.4190
Guinea7.700013865.6910
Central African Republic7.50005016.6780
Mozambique7.200033089.4610
Kenya7.100056215.2210
Indonesia6.9000279134.5050
North Korea6.800025990.6790
DR Congo6.700095240.7920
Philippines6.4000112508.9940
Bhutan6.4000787.9410
China6.20001448471.4000
Chad6.100017413.5800
Singapore6.10005943.5460
Myanmar5.800055227.1430
Malawi5.800020180.8390
Rwanda5.800013600.4640
Burkina Faso5.600022102.8380
Afghanistan5.500040754.3880
Niger5.500026083.6600
Burundi5.400012624.8400
Uganda5.300048432.8630
Madagascar5.300029178.0770
Laos5.30007481.0230
Sri Lanka5.200021575.8420
Eritrea53662.2440
South Korea4.700051329.8990
Ethiopia4.5000120812.6980
Japan4.3000125584.8380
Nepal4.100030225.5820
India3.90001406631.7760
Cambodia3.900017168.6390
Timor-Leste3.80001369.4290
Bangladesh3.6000167885.6890
Vietnam2.100098953.5410




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