Prevalence of obesity, female in India
India: Prevalence of obesity, female was 10.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in India, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of obesity, female in India stood at 10.4%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 73.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in India peaked at 10.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1980.
India ranks 178th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of obesity, female in India, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.4% | — |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +9.1% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | +10.4% |
| 1983 | 0.6% | +9.4% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | +8.6% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +8.7% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +9.3% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +8.9% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | +8.2% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | +8.6% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +8.7% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +8.0% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +8.8% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +8.7% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +8.0% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | +8.3% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +8.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 4.7% | +6.1% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 5.3% | +6.2% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | +6.0% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 6.4% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 8.9% | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 10.4% | +5.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 10.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 10.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 12.7%, 82% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 2.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 4.7% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 175 Lao People's Democratic Republic 11.7% compare
- 176 Philippines 11.6% compare
- 177 Burkina Faso 10.7% compare
- 179 Myanmar 10.4% compare
- 180 Nepal 10.3% compare
- 181 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 9.1% compare
More gender data for India
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 341,454 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.18 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.18 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 10.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 11.71 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 10.92 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 11.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 10.89 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in India?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in India was 10.4% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1980.
- How does India rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- India ranks 178th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as part of Prevalence of obesity, female (% of female population ages 18+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.