China vs South Korea: Share of women who are obese
China
8.4%
in 2024
South Korea
6.0%
in 2024
China rank
189th
South Korea rank
192nd
Share of women who are obese over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 8.4% against 6.0% in South Korea, a difference of 2.4%.
That makes China's figure about 1.4 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 189th and South Korea ranks 192nd of 199 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.9% | 0.3% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 2.4% | 0.2% | South Korea |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 0.1% | China |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 4.4% | 1.0% | China |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 5.6% | 2.0% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of women who are obese, China or South Korea?
- China, at 8.4% against 6.0% in South Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of women who are obese between China and South Korea?
- 2.4%, with China 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 share of women who are obese?
- China ranks 189th and South Korea ranks 192nd of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of women who are obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.