China vs South Korea: Prevalence of obesity, male

China
10.0%
in 2024
South Korea
10.4%
in 2024
China rank
141st
South Korea rank
138th

Prevalence of obesity, male over time

  • China
  • South Korea
02.557.510198020022024

How they compare

South Korea currently reports 10.4% against 10.0% in China, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Korea ahead.

China ranks 141st and South Korea ranks 138th of 196 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and South Korea in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade China South Korea Difference Ahead
1980s 0.5% 0.6% 0.2% South Korea
1990s 1.2% 1.2% 0.1% South Korea
2000s 2.5% 2.5% 0.0% South Korea
2010s 5.2% 5.1% 0.1% China
2020s 8.7% 9.0% 0.3% South Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher prevalence of obesity, male, China or South Korea?
South Korea, at 10.4% against 10.0% in China as of 2024.
What is the difference in prevalence of obesity, male between China and South Korea?
0.4%, with South Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
How do China and South Korea rank globally for prevalence of obesity, male?
China ranks 141st and South Korea ranks 138th of 196 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as Prevalence of obesity, male (% of male population ages 18+). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs South Korea: Prevalence of obesity, male. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/prevalence-of-obesity-male-percent-of-male-population-ages-18/china/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of obesity, male (% of male population ages 18+)
Unit
% of male population ages 18+
Source
World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
197 places, 8,862 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

Prevalence of obesity adult is the percentage of adults ages 18 and over whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 kg/m² or higher. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height, or the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.