Prevalence of obesity, male in Sweden
Sweden: Prevalence of obesity, male was 18.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, male in Sweden, 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 Sweden stood at 18.5%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in Sweden peaked at 18.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1980.
That places Sweden 111th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.8% | — |
| 1981 | 6.0% | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 6.2% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 6.7% | +3.4% |
| 1985 | 6.9% | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 7.1% | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 7.3% | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 7.6% | +3.4% |
| 1989 | 7.9% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 8.1% | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 8.7% | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 9.1% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 9.8% | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 10.6% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 12.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 12.8% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 14.4% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 14.7% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 15.0% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 15.4% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 15.7% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 15.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 15.9% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 16.1% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 16.3% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 16.6% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 16.8% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 17.0% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 17.3% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 18.2% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 18.5% | +1.8% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 18.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 25.6%, 72% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 18.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.4%, 86% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.8% | 5.8% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.7% | 8.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 11.9% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 15.4% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 17.3% | 18.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More gender data for Sweden
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,663 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.5 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 9,179 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 9,179 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.6078 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 47,810 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 50,483 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 48,381 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 51,112 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 50,315 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, male in Sweden?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in Sweden was 18.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1980.
- How does Sweden rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- Sweden ranks 111th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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.