Overweight and obesity - BMI statistics

Data extracted in: July 2024.

Planned article update: December 2026.

Highlights

The share of overweight people aged 16 years or over in the EU varied in 2022 between 31.3% in Italy and 56.7% in Latvia for females and between 51.5% in France and 69.4% in Croatia, Malta and Slovakia for males.

The age group 16 to 24 years (20.3%) had the lowest share of overweight people in the EU in 2022, while those aged 65 to 74 years (63.6%) had the highest share.

In 2022, the share of overweight females in the EU was lower for people with higher levels of education. For males, the share was also lowest for people with a tertiary education but was highest for people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education.

This article presents statistics on the share of overweight or obese people in the European Union (EU) as well as some EFTA and enlargement countries. The shares of overweight and obese people are increasing at a rapid rate in most of the EU countries, with 50.6% of people aged 16 years or over in the EU being overweight in 2022. People who are overweight but not obese are considered to be pre-obese.

Obesity is a serious public health problem as it significantly increases the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart diseases and certain cancers. For specific individuals, obesity may further be linked to a wide range of psychological problems. For society as a whole, it has substantial direct and indirect costs that put a considerable strain on healthcare and social resources.

The data in the current edition of this article come from EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC); they relate to the 2022 reference year and cover people aged 16 years or over. Note that the previous edition of this article was based on data from the 3rd wave of the European health interview survey (EHIS), which was conducted between 2018 and 2020 and covered people aged 15 years or over.

This article is 1 of a set of statistical articles concerning health determinants in the EU which forms part of an online publication on health statistics.

Obesity in the EU: gender differences

Figure 1: Share of pre-obese and obese persons aged 16 years or over, by sex, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_hch10)

Substantial differences exist in the EU concerning the share of people who are overweight

The share of people aged 16 years or over who were considered to be overweight in 2022 was 50.6% in the EU. Among the EU countries, this share ranged from 41.3% in Italy to 62.0% in Malta (see Table 1). In 20 of the EU countries (no data available for Germany), the share was over 50.0%.

In 2022, the highest share of obese people was in Latvia among females and in Malta among males

In the EU, the share of people aged 16 years or over who were considered to be overweight in 2022 varied between 31.3% in Italy and 56.7% in Latvia for females and between 51.5% in France and 69.4% in Croatia, Malta and Slovakia for males (see Figure 1).

Among EU countries, the lowest share of females aged 16 years or over who were obese in 2022 was observed in Italy (6.1%), considerably below the next lowest share (9.8% in Bulgaria). The highest shares of obese females were recorded in Latvia (23.9%), Estonia (22.9%), Malta (22.7%) and Finland (22.0%).

Among EU countries, the lowest share of males aged 16 years or over who were obese in 2022 was also observed in Italy (7.9%), again considerably below the next lowest share (10.2% in Romania). The highest shares of obese males were recorded in Malta (28.7%) and Hungary (24.2%).

In a majority of EU countries (19 of the 26 for which data are available; no data for Germany), the share of obese males was higher than the share of obese females in 2022. For example, in Croatia the share among males was 20.8%, some 8.3 percentage points (pp) above the 12.5% share among females. By contrast, a higher share of obese females was observed in 5 northern EU countries – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Denmark – as well as in the Netherlands and France. The widest gaps with higher shares for women were recorded in Latvia and Estonia (both 2.6 pp).

A higher share of males (than females) were pre-obese in each EU country

There was a clear difference between the sexes in terms of the shares of males and females who were pre-obese. In 2022, the share of pre-obese males was consistently higher than that for females in all EU countries (see Figure 1). Differences ranged from 8.4 pp in Hungary and 8.5 pp in Latvia to 18.8 pp in Slovakia and 18.9 pp in Italy.

Obesity by age group

The share of people who were overweight generally increased with age, peaking among people aged 65 to 74 years

Table 1 presents the share of people aged 16 years or over who were overweight in 2022, disaggregated by age groups. In the EU, the lowest share of people who were overweight was observed for people aged 16 to 24 years (20.3%). The share for each successively older age group was larger than the 1 before, until a peak was reached for people aged 65 to 74 years (63.6%). The share then dropped back somewhat among people aged 75 years or over (57.7%). A similar pattern was observed in 2022 in most of the EU countries.

In all EU countries, the lowest share was reported for people aged 16 to 24 years.
In 18 of the EU countries, the highest share was reported for people aged 65 to 74 years.
- In Spain and Luxembourg, the highest share was reported for people aged 75 years or over.
- In Denmark, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden, the highest share was reported for people aged 50 to 64 years.

Table 1: Share of overweight people, by sex and age, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_hch10)

Education level and overweight

As the education level of females rose, the share considered as being overweight fell

Figures 2 and 3 show the share of females and males who were overweight in 2022, according to their educational attainment level.

In 2022 in the EU, the share of females who were overweight was highest among people with no more than a lower secondary level of education (50.3%) and lowest among people with a tertiary education (33.0%) – see Figure 2. This pattern was observed in most EU countries. The exceptions were

the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Czechia and Hungary, where people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education had the highest share
Ireland, where people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education had the highest share and people with no more than a lower secondary level of education had the lowest share.

When analysed by education level, the range in the shares of overweight females in 2022 was largest in Croatia (27.1 pp), while the smallest range was in Ireland (6.2 pp).

Figure 2: Share of females aged 16 years or over who were overweight, by educational level, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_hch10)

For males, there was a less clear pattern linking educational attainment levels and being overweight. In the EU, the share of males who were overweight was highest among people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education (61.3%) and lowest among people with a tertiary education (54.7%) – see Figure 3.

A similar pattern to that observed for the EU as a whole was reported for Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden.
The most common pattern among the EU countries, which was observed in Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Finland, was that the highest share was recorded among people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education and the lowest share among people with no more than a lower secondary level of education.
In Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Malta, the share was highest among people with no more than a lower secondary level of education and lowest among people with a tertiary education; the reverse was observed in Bulgaria.
In Greece and Portugal, the share was highest among people with no more than a lower secondary level of education and lowest among people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education.
In Ireland and Cyprus, the share was highest among people with a tertiary education and lowest among people with an upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education.

When analysed by education level, the range in the shares of overweight males in 2022 was largest in Czechia (27.7 pp), while the smallest ranges were in Belgium and Greece (both 7.5 pp).

Figure 3: Share of males aged 16 years or over who were overweight, by educational level, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_hch10)

Overweight and obesity statistics: tables and figures

Data sources

Health status

EU-SILC is the source of comparative statistics on income distribution and social inclusion in the EU. It provides annual data for the EU countries as well as some EFTA and enlargement countries on income, poverty, social exclusion and other aspects of living conditions.

The reference population for EU-SILC is limited to private households and their current members residing in the territory of the surveying country at the time of data collection. People living in collective households and institutions are generally excluded from the reference population. All household members are surveyed, but only those aged 16 years or over are interviewed.

The source is documented in more detail in this background article, which provides information on the scope of the data, its legal basis, the methodology employed, as well as related concepts and definitions.

Limitations of the data

EU-SILC does not cover the institutionalised population, for example, people living in health and social care institutions whose health status is likely to be worse than that of people living in private households. It is therefore likely that, to some degree, this data source under-estimates the share of people who are overweight. Furthermore, the indicators presented are not age-standardised and thus reflect the current national age structures. Finally, despite substantial and continuous efforts for harmonisation, the implementation of EU-SILC is organised nationally, which may impact on the results presented, for example, due to differences in the formulation of questions or their precise coverage.

Body mass index

The body mass index (BMI) is a measure of a person’s weight relative to their height, which is fairly well related to the share of body fat. The BMI is accepted as the most useful measure of obesity for adults when only weight and height data are available. It is calculated as a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of their height (in metres). BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²)

The following subdivision (according to the WHO) is used to classify results for the BMI

< 18.50: underweight
18.50 – < 25.00: normal range
≥ 25.00: overweight
- 25.00 – < 30.00: pre-obese
- ≥ 30.00: obese.

The analysis of people who are overweight or obese by educational level is based upon the International standard classification of education (ISCED), 2011 version, and refers to

lower secondary education or less (ISCED levels 0 to 2)
upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education (ISCED levels 3 and 4);
tertiary education (ISCED levels 5 to 8).

Context

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide adult obesity more than doubled between 1990 and 2022. In 2022, 43% of people aged 18 years or over were overweight and 16% were obese.

Indeed, the number of overweight and obese people has been growing in recent years, and many people find it increasingly difficult to maintain a normal weight in today's largely obesogenic environment. This environment spans from low breastfeeding rates, through difficulties in geographically or financially accessing the elements of a healthy diet, a lack of cooking skills, an abundance and marketing of energy-rich foods, to urban-planning choices and lifestyle pressures that often reduce the opportunity for physical activity (both at work or for leisure). While obesity was once considered a problem only for high-income countries, there has been a considerable increase in the share of people from low- and middle-income countries who are considered to be overweight or obese (in particular in urban areas where people are more prone to a sedentary lifestyle). The malnutrition problem has become more complex as obesity and deficiencies in micronutrients can and do go hand in hand.

Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone for good health. Specific recommendations for a healthy diet include eating fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains and a relatively low intake of salt, sugar and fats. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, and impaired physical and mental development. Indeed, 6 of the 7 largest risk factors for premature death in the EU – blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, inadequate fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, and alcohol abuse – may, at least in part, be linked to what/how we eat, drink and exercise.

In March 2007, the European Commission established a coherent and comprehensive Community Strategy to address the issues of overweight and obesity, by adopting the White Paper titled Strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight, and obesity-related health issues (COM(2007) 279 final). The strategy focuses on action that can be taken locally, regionally, nationally and across the EU to reduce the risks associated with poor nutrition and limited physical exercise, while addressing the issue of inequalities across EU countries. An Action Plan on Childhood Obesity was endorsed in 2014 by the members of the High Level Group on Nutrition and Physical Activity (with a reserve by the Netherlands). In the same year, Council Conclusions on Nutrition and Physical Activity were published.

Additional details on the latest EU initiatives on nutrition and physical activity for health promotion and disease prevention are available here.

Explore further

Database

Health including children health (ilc_hch)

Thematic section

Publications

Atlas on mortality in the European Union
Over half of adults in the EU are overweight – News article

Methodology

Income and living conditions (ilc) (SIMS metadata file)
Health variables of EU-SILC (ESMS metadata file – hlth_silc_01_esms)
EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC) methodology
Health variables in EU-SILC

External links

Legislation

Legal framework from 2021: EU statistics on income and living conditions