Share of women who are obese in India
India: Share of women who are obese was 10.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of women who are obese in India, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of women who are obese in India stood at 10.4%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 73.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are obese in India peaked at 10.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1980.
That places India 181st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of women who are obese in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.4% | — |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1982 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1983 | 0.6% | +9.4% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | +9.4% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +9.3% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +9.1% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +9.0% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +9.0% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | +8.9% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +8.8% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +8.6% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +8.5% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +8.5% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +8.5% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | +8.5% |
| 1998 | 2.1% | +8.5% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +8.2% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | +7.8% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | +7.2% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 4.4% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 4.7% | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | +6.1% |
| 2012 | 5.3% | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 6.4% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | +5.9% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 8.9% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 10.4% | +5.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 10.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 10.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 12.7%, 82% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 2.4% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 4.7% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 178 Laos 11.7% compare
- 179 Philippines 11.6% compare
- 180 Burkina Faso 10.7% compare
- 182 Myanmar 10.4% compare
- 183 Nepal 10.3% compare
- 184 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.1% compare
More gender data for India
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 341,454 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5667 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.18 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.18 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 10.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 11.71 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 10.92 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 11.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 10.89 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are obese in India?
- Share of women who are obese in India was 10.4% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are obese recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1980.
- How does India rank for share of women who are obese?
- India ranks 181st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are obese rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India 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
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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.