Share of women who are overweight or obese in Japan
Japan: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 15.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of women who are overweight or 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 15.5% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Japan peaked at 17.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2015.
Japan ranks 197th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 17.9% | — |
| 1981 | 17.9% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 17.8% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 17.7% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 17.6% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 17.5% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 17.5% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 17.4% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 17.4% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 17.3% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 17.3% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 17.3% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 17.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 17.2% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 17.2% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 17.1% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 16.9% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 16.9% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 16.8% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 16.6% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 16.5% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 16.4% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 16.1% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 16.0% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 15.8% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 15.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 15.6% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 15.4% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 15.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 15.5% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 15.5% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.6% | 17.3% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 16.8% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 15.6% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.4% | 15.3% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.5% | 15.4% | 15.5% | 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 overweight or obese in Japan?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Japan was 15.5% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 1980.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2015.
- How does Japan rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Japan ranks 197th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 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.