Share of women who are overweight or obese in Canada
Canada: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 53.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Canada, 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 overweight or obese in Canada is 53.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Canada peaked at 53.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 1980.
Canada ranks 112th 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 overweight or obese in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 31.1% | — |
| 1981 | 32.0% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 32.8% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 33.7% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 34.6% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 35.5% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 36.4% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 37.3% | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 38.2% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 39.1% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 40.0% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 40.9% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 41.9% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 42.7% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 43.6% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 44.5% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 45.3% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 46.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 46.8% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 47.5% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 48.2% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 48.7% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 49.3% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 49.7% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 50.1% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 50.8% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 51.1% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 51.4% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 51.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 51.8% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 52.0% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 52.1% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 52.2% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 52.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 52.5% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 52.6% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 52.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 52.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 52.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 52.9% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 52.9% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 53.0% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 53.0% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 53.1% | +0.1% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 53.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 55.5%, 96% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.1% | 31.1% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.9% | 40.0% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.1% | 48.2% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.4% | 51.8% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.0% | 52.9% | 53.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More gender data for Canada
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 5,985 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.1285 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 35,670 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 35,670 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.8111 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 179,464 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 188,972 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 181,929 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 191,273 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 183,113 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Canada?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Canada was 53.1% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 53.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 1980.
- How does Canada rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Canada ranks 112th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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 overweight or 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
A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in meters squared.