Prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland
Ireland: Prevalence of obesity, female was 27.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 27.1% for prevalence of obesity, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland peaked at 27.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 1980.
Ireland ranks 89th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.1% | — |
| 1981 | 9.5% | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 9.8% | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 10.2% | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 10.7% | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 11.1% | +4.0% |
| 1986 | 11.5% | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 12.0% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 12.9% | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 13.4% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 13.9% | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 14.4% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 15.4% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | +3.5% |
| 1996 | 16.5% | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 17.1% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 17.6% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 18.2% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 18.7% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 19.2% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 19.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 20.2% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 21.2% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 21.6% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 22.0% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 22.8% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 23.1% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 23.5% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 23.8% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 24.4% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 24.7% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 25.2% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 25.5% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 25.8% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 26.0% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 26.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 26.6% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 26.8% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 27.1% | +1.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 27.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 27.1%, 1.0× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 27.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.2%, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.9% | 9.1% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.7% | 13.4% | 18.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.9% | 18.7% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.5% | 23.1% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.6% | 26.0% | 27.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More gender data for Ireland
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 899.27 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9809 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,626 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,626 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,039 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 27,455 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 26,494 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 27,919 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 26,943 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Ireland was 27.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 1980.
- How does Ireland rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Ireland ranks 89th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.