Where is obesity most common?

Click any country to see the share of its adults living with obesity (a body mass index of 30 or more).

or click the map

Adult obesity rate

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No data

Global average

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Highest

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Lowest

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Overview

Obesity has risen almost everywhere as diets and lifestyles have changed. This map shows the share of adults with obesity — defined as a body mass index of 30 or more — for every country.

Key facts

Obesity has roughly tripled worldwide since 1975.
The highest rates, above 60%, are in several Pacific island nations.
Obesity raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.

Common questions

How is obesity defined?

As a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared — a rough but standard population measure.

Why is it rising?

More energy-dense food, larger portions, and more sedentary work and travel have increased obesity in almost every country over recent decades.

Where does the data come from?

The World Health Organization, compiled via Our World in Data.

Sources & methodology

Data from WHO (via Our World in Data), compiled via Our World in Data. Global figures are population-weighted across the countries that report this measure; countries without reliable recent data are shown as “no data”.

Last updated: 3 August 2026.