Share of women who are overweight or obese in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 58.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom is 58.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in United Kingdom peaked at 58.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 30.4%, in 1980.
United Kingdom ranks 88th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 30.4% | — |
| 1981 | 31.4% | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 32.4% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 33.5% | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 34.5% | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 35.6% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 36.7% | +3.0% |
| 1987 | 37.8% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 38.9% | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 40.0% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 41.1% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 42.2% | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 43.3% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 44.4% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 45.5% | +2.5% |
| 1995 | 46.6% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 47.7% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 48.7% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 49.6% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 50.5% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 51.3% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 52.1% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 52.8% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 53.4% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 53.9% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 54.4% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 54.8% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 55.1% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 55.4% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 55.7% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 56.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 56.3% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 56.5% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 56.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 56.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 57.0% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 57.2% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 57.4% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 57.6% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 57.8% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 57.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 58.1% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 58.3% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 58.5% | +0.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 58.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 55.5%, 1.1× the median. (66 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 58.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 49.5%, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.1% | 30.4% | 40.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.0% | 41.1% | 50.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.9% | 51.3% | 55.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.7% | 55.9% | 57.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 58.1% | 57.8% | 58.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 85 Papua New Guinea 58.8% compare
- 86 North Macedonia 58.6% compare
- 87 Cape Verde 58.6% compare
- 89 Tajikistan 58.2% compare
- 90 Solomon Islands 58.1% compare
- 91 Australia 58.1% compare
More gender data for United Kingdom
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 11,226 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9161 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 60,060 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 60,060 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.7034 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 335,907 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 353,938 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 340,922 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 359,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 343,706 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in United Kingdom?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in United Kingdom was 58.5% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 58.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.4% in 1980.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- United Kingdom ranks 88th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.