Prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland
Ireland: Prevalence of obesity, male was 28.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of male population ages 18+.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland stood at 28.8%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland peaked at 28.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1980.
That places Ireland 41st out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8.7% | — |
| 1981 | 9.1% | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 9.4% | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 9.8% | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 10.2% | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 10.7% | +4.1% |
| 1986 | 11.1% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 11.6% | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 12.1% | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 13.1% | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 13.7% | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 14.3% | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 15.5% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 16.9% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 17.6% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 18.9% | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 19.6% | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 20.4% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 21.1% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 21.7% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 23.0% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 23.6% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 24.1% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 24.6% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 25.0% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 25.4% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 25.7% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 26.0% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 26.2% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 26.5% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 26.8% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 27.0% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 27.3% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 27.5% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 27.7% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 27.9% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 28.3% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 28.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 28.8% | +0.8% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 28.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 25.6%, 1.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 28.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.4%, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.5% | 8.7% | 12.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 13.1% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 19.6% | 25.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 25.4% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.3% | 27.9% | 28.8% | 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, male in Ireland?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in Ireland was 28.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1980.
- How does Ireland rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- Ireland ranks 41st out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. 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, male (% of male 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.