Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 59.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malaysia, 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 Malaysia is 59.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Malaysia peaked at 59.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1980.
Malaysia ranks 82nd 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 16.5% | — |
| 1981 | 17.3% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 18.2% | +5.0% |
| 1983 | 19.1% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 20.0% | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 20.9% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 21.9% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 24.0% | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 25.1% | +4.4% |
| 1990 | 26.1% | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 27.2% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 28.3% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 29.5% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 30.6% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 31.7% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 32.8% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 34.0% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 35.1% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 36.2% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 37.3% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 38.4% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 39.4% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 40.5% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 41.5% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 43.4% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 44.4% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 45.3% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 46.2% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 47.1% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 48.1% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 49.0% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 49.9% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 50.8% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 51.7% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 52.6% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 53.5% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 54.4% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 55.3% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 56.2% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 57.0% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 57.9% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 58.7% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 59.6% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20.6% | 16.5% | 25.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.2% | 26.1% | 36.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.9% | 37.3% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.3% | 47.1% | 55.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.9% | 56.2% | 59.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More gender data for Malaysia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 7,206 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.39 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 214,187 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 227,793 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 214,543 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 228,149 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 213,108 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 226,616 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 211,196 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 224,575 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Malaysia?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malaysia was 59.6% 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 59.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1980.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Malaysia ranks 82nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.