Prevalence of obesity, male in Norway
Norway: Prevalence of obesity, male was 21.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, male in Norway, 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 Norway stood at 21.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in Norway peaked at 21.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1980.
Norway ranks 85th 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.8% | — |
| 1981 | 5.0% | +4.1% |
| 1982 | 5.3% | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 5.5% | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 5.7% | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 6.0% | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 6.2% | +4.4% |
| 1987 | 6.5% | +4.2% |
| 1988 | 6.8% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 7.1% | +4.4% |
| 1990 | 7.4% | +4.5% |
| 1991 | 7.7% | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 8.1% | +4.7% |
| 1993 | 8.5% | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 8.9% | +5.1% |
| 1995 | 9.4% | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 10.4% | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 10.9% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 12.1% | +5.2% |
| 2001 | 12.7% | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 13.9% | +4.7% |
| 2004 | 14.5% | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 15.1% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 15.6% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 16.6% | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 17.0% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 17.3% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 17.8% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 18.1% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 18.3% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 18.5% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 18.8% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 19.1% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 19.9% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 20.1% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 20.4% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 20.8% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 21.1% | +1.5% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 21.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 25.6%, 82% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Norway's 21.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.4%, 98% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.9% | 4.8% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 7.4% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.7% | 12.1% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.4% | 17.3% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.4% | 19.9% | 21.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 82 Türkiye 21.9% compare
- 83 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.7% compare
- 84 Saint Lucia 21.2% compare
- 86 Pakistan 21.1% compare
- 87 Azerbaijan 20.8% compare
- 87 Republic of Moldova 20.8% compare
More gender data for Norway
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 850.35 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9674 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 4,879 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 4,879 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.5298 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,013 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 27,570 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 26,104 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 27,639 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 26,158 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, male in Norway?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in Norway was 21.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1980.
- How does Norway rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- Norway ranks 85th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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.