Share of women who are overweight or obese in Laos
Laos: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 36.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Laos, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Laos recorded 36.5% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 37.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Laos peaked at 36.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1980.
That places Laos 173rd 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 Laos, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.1% | — |
| 1981 | 7.5% | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 7.8% | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 8.1% | +4.5% |
| 1984 | 8.5% | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 8.9% | +4.5% |
| 1986 | 9.3% | +4.5% |
| 1987 | 9.7% | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 10.2% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 10.6% | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 11.1% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 11.6% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 12.1% | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 12.6% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 13.6% | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 14.7% | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 15.2% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 15.8% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 16.3% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 16.9% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 17.5% | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 18.1% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 18.7% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 19.3% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 20.0% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 21.4% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 23.0% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 24.8% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 25.7% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 26.6% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 27.6% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 28.6% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 29.5% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 30.5% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 31.5% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 32.5% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 33.5% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 34.5% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 35.5% | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 36.5% | +2.8% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 36.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.3%, 69% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 36.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 58.5%, 62% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.4% | 11.1% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 16.3% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.2% | 23.0% | 31.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.5% | 32.5% | 36.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 170 Italy 37.4% compare
- 171 Bangladesh 36.9% compare
- 172 Sierra Leone 36.8% compare
- 174 Nepal 36.3% compare
- 175 Mozambique 35.7% compare
- 176 Uganda 35.4% compare
More gender data for Laos
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 2,335 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.3716 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 6,022 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 6,022 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 77,014 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 80,573 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 76,875 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 80,330 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 76,857 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Laos?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Laos was 36.5% 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 36.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1980.
- How does Laos rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Laos ranks 173rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos 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.