Share of women who are obese in Japan
Japan: Share of women who are obese was 3.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are obese in Japan, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 3.7% for share of women who are obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are obese in Japan peaked at 3.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1985.
Japan ranks 198th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are obese in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.2% | — |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 2.2% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 2.2% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 2.3% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 2.3% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 3.5% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 3.5% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 3.7% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More gender data for Japan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 12,429 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.96 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 367,041 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 384,885 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 368,886 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 386,553 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 378,555 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 396,805 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 393,277 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 412,389 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are obese in Japan?
- Share of women who are obese in Japan was 3.7% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are obese recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1985.
- How does Japan rank for share of women who are obese?
- Japan ranks 198th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are obese rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.