Share of women who are obese in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of women who are obese was 28.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are obese in United Kingdom, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of women who are obese in United Kingdom is 28.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are obese in United Kingdom peaked at 28.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 1980.
United Kingdom ranks 83rd 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8.2% | — |
| 1981 | 8.6% | +5.5% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +5.5% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 10.1% | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 10.6% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 11.2% | +5.1% |
| 1987 | 11.7% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 12.3% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 12.9% | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 13.5% | +4.7% |
| 1991 | 14.1% | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 14.7% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 15.4% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 16.0% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 17.4% | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 18.7% | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 19.4% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 20.1% | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 20.7% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 21.3% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 21.9% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 22.5% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 23.0% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 23.5% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 24.0% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 24.4% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 25.1% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 25.5% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 25.7% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 26.0% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 26.3% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 26.5% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 26.8% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 27.3% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 27.6% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 27.9% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 28.4% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 28.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 28.9% | +1.0% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 28.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 27.1%, 1.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 28.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.2%, 1.4× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.4% | 8.2% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.4% | 13.5% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.6% | 20.1% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.4% | 25.1% | 27.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.4% | 27.9% | 28.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More gender data for United Kingdom
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 11,226 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9161 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 60,060 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 60,060 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7034 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 335,907 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 353,938 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 340,922 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 359,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 343,706 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are obese in United Kingdom?
- Share of women who are obese in United Kingdom was 28.9% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are obese recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 1980.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of women who are obese?
- United Kingdom ranks 83rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are obese rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.