Prevalence of obesity, male in Denmark
Denmark: Prevalence of obesity, male was 15.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, male in Denmark, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of male population ages 18+.
Analysis
Denmark recorded 15.5% for prevalence of obesity, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in Denmark peaked at 15.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1980.
Denmark ranks 123rd 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, male in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.2% | — |
| 1981 | 5.4% | +5.0% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 6.0% | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 6.3% | +4.8% |
| 1985 | 6.6% | +4.9% |
| 1986 | 6.9% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 7.2% | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 7.5% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 7.8% | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 8.2% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 8.5% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 8.8% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 9.2% | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 9.5% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 10.6% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 10.9% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 11.3% | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 11.7% | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 12.5% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 13.2% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 13.4% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 13.7% | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 13.9% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 14.1% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 14.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 14.3% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 14.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 14.3% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 14.4% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 14.5% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 14.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 14.7% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 14.8% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 15.0% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 15.2% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 15.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 15.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 25.6%, 60% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 15.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.4%, 72% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.5% | 5.2% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.7% | 8.2% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.2% | 11.7% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 14.3% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.9% | 15.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 120 Solomon Islands 16.2% compare
- 121 Mauritius 16.0% compare
- 122 Algeria 15.6% compare
- 124 Eswatini 15.0% compare
- 125 Afghanistan 14.6% compare
- 126 South Africa 14.5% compare
More gender data for Denmark
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 936.54 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1147 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,145 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,145 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.2008 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,897 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,488 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 28,736 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,324 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 28,778 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, male in Denmark?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in Denmark was 15.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 15.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1980.
- How does Denmark rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- Denmark ranks 123rd out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as part of Prevalence of obesity, male (% of male population ages 18+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.