Prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Prevalence of obesity, female was 15.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka is 15.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.6% on the previous year and up 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka peaked at 15.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1980.
That places Sri Lanka 159th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.8% | — |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +8.0% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | +7.4% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | +8.0% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | +8.5% |
| 1985 | 1.1% | +7.8% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +8.2% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +8.4% |
| 1988 | 1.4% | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | +7.9% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +8.7% |
| 1991 | 1.8% | +8.0% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +8.4% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +7.8% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | +8.1% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | +7.9% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | +8.1% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +7.9% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | +7.9% |
| 2000 | 3.5% | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | +7.2% |
| 2006 | 5.4% | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 5.8% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +6.9% |
| 2009 | 6.6% | +6.6% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 7.5% | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | +6.4% |
| 2013 | 8.5% | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 9.0% | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 10.1% | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 10.7% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 11.3% | +5.5% |
| 2019 | 11.9% | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 12.5% | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 13.1% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 14.3% | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 15.0% | +4.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 15.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 32.7%, 46% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 15.0% is above the median for South Asia, which is 12.7%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 3.5% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.3% | 7.0% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.7% | 12.5% | 15.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 156 Singapore 15.5% compare
- 157 Andorra 15.2% compare
- 158 Netherlands 15.2% compare
- 160 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 14.7% compare
- 161 Montenegro 14.6% compare
- 162 Guinea 14.6% compare
More gender data for Sri Lanka
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 4,804 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.8687 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 18,964 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 18,964 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7411 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 155,366 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 162,031 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 156,342 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 163,015 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 157,484 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Sri Lanka was 15.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1980.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Sri Lanka ranks 159th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.