Share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria
Syria: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 72.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria stood at 72.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria peaked at 72.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 51.0%, in 1980.
Syria ranks 43rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Syria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 51.0% | — |
| 1981 | 51.6% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 52.2% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 52.9% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 53.5% | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 54.1% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 54.7% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 55.4% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 56.0% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 56.6% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 57.3% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 57.9% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 58.5% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 59.2% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 59.8% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 60.5% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 61.2% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 61.9% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 62.6% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 63.3% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 64.0% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 64.7% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 65.3% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 65.9% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 66.4% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 66.9% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 67.4% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 67.8% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 68.2% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 68.6% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 69.0% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 69.7% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 70.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 70.3% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 70.6% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 70.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 71.1% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 71.3% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 71.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 71.7% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 71.8% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 71.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 72.0% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 72.1% | +0.2% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 72.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 35.4%, 2.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's 72.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 68.6%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 53.8% | 51.0% | 56.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 60.2% | 57.3% | 63.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.5% | 64.0% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 70.4% | 69.0% | 71.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.9% | 71.7% | 72.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 40 Antigua and Barbuda 72.3% compare
- 41 Bermuda 72.3% compare
- 42 Peru 72.3% compare
- 44 French Polynesia 72.1% compare
- 45 Bahrain 72.1% compare
- 46 El Salvador 71.9% compare
More gender data for Syria
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 8,107 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 3.23 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 21,289 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 21,289 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.03 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 288,104 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 302,347 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 273,777 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 287,191 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 255,304 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Syria was 72.1% 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 Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 72.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.0% in 1980.
- How does Syria rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Syria ranks 43rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria 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
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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.