Share of women who are obese in El Salvador
El Salvador: Share of women who are obese was 38.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are obese in El Salvador, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 38.8% for share of women who are obese in 2024. 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 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are obese in El Salvador peaked at 38.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 1980.
El Salvador ranks 52nd of 199 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.
Share of women who are obese in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.5% | — |
| 1981 | 9.9% | +4.8% |
| 1982 | 10.4% | +4.8% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | +4.8% |
| 1984 | 11.4% | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 12.0% | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 12.5% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 13.1% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 13.7% | +4.6% |
| 1989 | 14.3% | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 15.0% | +4.5% |
| 1991 | 15.7% | +4.5% |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 17.7% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 18.5% | +4.1% |
| 1996 | 19.2% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 20.0% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 20.7% | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 22.2% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 22.9% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 23.7% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 24.4% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 25.1% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 25.7% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 27.1% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 27.8% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 28.5% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 29.2% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 30.0% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 30.7% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 31.4% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 32.1% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 32.8% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 33.5% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 34.2% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 34.9% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 35.5% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 36.2% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 36.8% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 37.5% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 38.1% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 38.8% | +1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.8% | 9.5% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.2% | 15.0% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 22.2% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.4% | 29.2% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.5% | 36.2% | 38.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More gender data for El Salvador
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,446 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,040 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,040 (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 47,387 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 49,616 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 47,477 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 49,704 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 47,581 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 49,800 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are obese in El Salvador?
- Share of women who are obese in El Salvador was 38.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are obese recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are obese recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 1980.
- How does El Salvador rank for share of women who are obese?
- El Salvador ranks 52nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are obese rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.