Share of women who are overweight or obese in China
China: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 32.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in China, 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 China is 32.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in China peaked at 32.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1980.
That places China 182nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are overweight or obese in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.1% | — |
| 1981 | 11.5% | +3.6% |
| 1982 | 11.9% | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 12.3% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 12.8% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 13.2% | +3.5% |
| 1986 | 13.7% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 14.2% | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 14.6% | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 15.1% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 15.6% | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 16.2% | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 16.7% | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 17.2% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 17.6% | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 18.1% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 18.5% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 19.0% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 19.4% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 19.8% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 20.2% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 20.6% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 21.0% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 21.4% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 21.8% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 22.7% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 23.2% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 23.7% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 24.9% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 25.4% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 26.0% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 26.5% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 27.1% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 27.7% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 28.8% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 29.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 30.5% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 31.0% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 31.6% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 32.2% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 32.8% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.0% | 11.1% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 15.6% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 20.2% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 24.9% | 29.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.6% | 30.5% | 32.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More gender data for China
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 169,741 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -5.36 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 4.15 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 4.56 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 4.18 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 4.62 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 4.32 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 4.78 million (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 4.69 million (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 5.18 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in China?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in China was 32.8% 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 overweight or obese recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 32.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1980.
- How does China rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- China ranks 182nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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.