Prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Prevalence of obesity, female was 47.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
47.8%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
20th
of 196 countries
All-time high
47.8%
in 2024
All-time low
14.3%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico, 1980–2024

10203040501980200220241980: 14.3 % of female population ages 18+1981: 14.8 % of female population ages 18+1982: 15.3 % of female population ages 18+1983: 15.9 % of female population ages 18+1984: 16.5 % of female population ages 18+1985: 17.1 % of female population ages 18+1986: 17.7 % of female population ages 18+1987: 18.3 % of female population ages 18+1988: 19 % of female population ages 18+1989: 19.7 % of female population ages 18+1990: 20.4 % of female population ages 18+1991: 21.1 % of female population ages 18+1992: 21.8 % of female population ages 18+1993: 22.6 % of female population ages 18+1994: 23.4 % of female population ages 18+1995: 24.2 % of female population ages 18+1996: 25 % of female population ages 18+1997: 25.8 % of female population ages 18+1998: 26.7 % of female population ages 18+1999: 27.6 % of female population ages 18+2000: 28.5 % of female population ages 18+2001: 29.3 % of female population ages 18+2002: 30.2 % of female population ages 18+2003: 31 % of female population ages 18+2004: 31.9 % of female population ages 18+2005: 32.7 % of female population ages 18+2006: 33.5 % of female population ages 18+2007: 34.3 % of female population ages 18+2008: 35.1 % of female population ages 18+2009: 35.9 % of female population ages 18+2010: 36.7 % of female population ages 18+2011: 37.5 % of female population ages 18+2012: 38.3 % of female population ages 18+2013: 39.1 % of female population ages 18+2014: 40 % of female population ages 18+2015: 40.8 % of female population ages 18+2016: 41.6 % of female population ages 18+2017: 42.4 % of female population ages 18+2018: 43.2 % of female population ages 18+2019: 44 % of female population ages 18+2020: 44.8 % of female population ages 18+2021: 45.5 % of female population ages 18+2022: 46.3 % of female population ages 18+2023: 47.1 % of female population ages 18+2024: 47.8 % of female population ages 18+

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 Puerto Rico stood at 47.8%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 19.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico peaked at 47.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 1980.

That places Puerto Rico 20th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of obesity, female (% of female population ages 18+) in Puerto Rico, 1980 to 2024.
Year % of female population ages 18+ Change
1980 14.3%
1981 14.8% +3.6%
1982 15.3% +3.6%
1983 15.9% +3.6%
1984 16.5% +3.6%
1985 17.1% +3.6%
1986 17.7% +3.6%
1987 18.3% +3.6%
1988 19.0% +3.6%
1989 19.7% +3.5%
1990 20.4% +3.6%
1991 21.1% +3.5%
1992 21.8% +3.5%
1993 22.6% +3.4%
1994 23.4% +3.5%
1995 24.2% +3.5%
1996 25.0% +3.4%
1997 25.8% +3.4%
1998 26.7% +3.4%
1999 27.6% +3.3%
2000 28.5% +3.2%
2001 29.3% +3.1%
2002 30.2% +2.9%
2003 31.0% +2.8%
2004 31.9% +2.6%
2005 32.7% +2.5%
2006 33.5% +2.5%
2007 34.3% +2.4%
2008 35.1% +2.4%
2009 35.9% +2.3%
2010 36.7% +2.3%
2011 37.5% +2.2%
2012 38.3% +2.2%
2013 39.1% +2.1%
2014 40.0% +2.1%
2015 40.8% +2.1%
2016 41.6% +2.0%
2017 42.4% +1.9%
2018 43.2% +1.9%
2019 44.0% +1.8%
2020 44.8% +1.8%
2021 45.5% +1.7%
2022 46.3% +1.7%
2023 47.1% +1.7%
2024 47.8% +1.6%

Puerto Rico compared with similar countries

  • Puerto Rico's 47.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 27.1%, 1.8× the median. (66 countries reporting)
  • Puerto Rico's 47.8% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 40.0%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 16.9% 14.3% 19.7% 10
1990s 23.9% 20.4% 27.6% 10
2000s 32.2% 28.5% 35.9% 10
2010s 40.4% 36.7% 44.0% 10
2020s 46.3% 44.8% 47.8% 5

Countries ranked near Puerto Rico

  1. 17 Barbados 50.0% compare
  2. 18 Fiji 48.8% compare
  3. 19 Saint Lucia 47.8% compare
  4. 21 Iraq 47.6% compare
  5. 22 South Africa 47.5% compare
  6. 23 Kuwait 46.8% compare

See the full ranking of 197 places →

More gender data for Puerto Rico

All data for Puerto Rico →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico?
Prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico was 47.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Puerto Rico?
The highest recorded value was 47.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Puerto Rico?
The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 1980.
How does Puerto Rico rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
Puerto Rico ranks 20th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Puerto Rico 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.

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Prevalence of obesity, female in Puerto Rico. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-obesity-female-percent-of-female-population-ages-18/puerto-rico-us/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of obesity, female (% of female population ages 18+)
Unit
% of female 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.