Share of women who are overweight or obese in Denmark
Denmark: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 38.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Denmark, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Denmark recorded 38.7% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Denmark peaked at 38.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.9%, in 1980.
Denmark ranks 167th 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 overweight or obese in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 24.9% | — |
| 1981 | 25.3% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 25.6% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 26.0% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 26.4% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 26.8% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 27.2% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 27.6% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 27.9% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 28.3% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 28.7% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 29.5% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 29.9% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 30.3% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 30.7% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 31.1% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 31.5% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 31.9% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 32.3% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 32.7% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 33.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 33.4% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 33.7% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 34.0% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 34.2% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 34.5% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 34.7% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 34.9% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 35.2% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 35.4% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 35.5% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 35.7% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 35.9% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 36.1% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 36.4% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 36.6% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 36.9% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 37.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 37.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 37.8% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 38.1% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 38.4% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 38.7% | +0.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 38.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 55.5%, 70% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 38.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 49.5%, 78% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 26.6% | 24.9% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 30.5% | 28.7% | 32.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.0% | 32.7% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.1% | 35.2% | 37.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.1% | 37.5% | 38.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More gender data for Denmark
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 936.54 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1147 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 5,145 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 5,145 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.2008 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,897 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,488 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 28,736 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,324 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 28,778 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Denmark?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Denmark was 38.7% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 38.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.9% in 1980.
- How does Denmark rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Denmark ranks 167th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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.