Prevalence of obesity, male in New Zealand
New Zealand: Prevalence of obesity, male was 32.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, male in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 32.3%. 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 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in New Zealand peaked at 32.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 1980.
That places New Zealand 27th 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6.9% | — |
| 1981 | 7.3% | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 7.7% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 8.2% | +6.0% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 9.2% | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 9.7% | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 10.3% | +5.9% |
| 1988 | 10.9% | +5.8% |
| 1989 | 11.5% | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 12.2% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 12.9% | +5.8% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 14.4% | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 15.2% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 16.1% | +5.4% |
| 1996 | 16.9% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 17.8% | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 19.6% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 20.5% | +4.6% |
| 2001 | 21.4% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 22.3% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 23.2% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 24.0% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 24.8% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 26.2% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 26.8% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 27.4% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 27.9% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 28.3% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 28.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 29.4% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 29.8% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 30.1% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 30.4% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 30.7% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 31.0% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 31.3% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 31.5% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 31.8% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 32.3% | +0.8% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 32.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 25.6%, 1.3× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 32.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 20.5%, 1.6× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.0% | 6.9% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.8% | 12.2% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.2% | 20.5% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 27.9% | 31.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.8% | 31.3% | 32.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More gender data for New Zealand
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 907.87 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6435 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,499 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,499 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7305 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,751 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,320 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,663 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,141 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, male in New Zealand?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in New Zealand was 32.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 32.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 1980.
- How does New Zealand rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- New Zealand ranks 27th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.