The island country of Nauru is the most obese in the world with obesity affecting 61.0% of the adult population, according to the most recent data available from the World Health Organization (WHO) as of Mar. 26, 2020. Vietnam is the least obese country with 2.1% of the population classified as obese. Among OECD countries, the United States is the most obese (36.2%).
According to WHO, more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight, including 650 million who were obese, in 2016. The prevalence of obesity tripled worldwide between 1975 and 2016.
| Global Rank | Country | % of Adult Population That Is Obese |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nauru | 61.0% |
| 2 | Cook Islands | 55.9% |
| 3 | Palau | 55.3% |
| 4 | Marshall Islands | 52.9% |
| 5 | Tuvalu | 51.6% |
| 6 | Niue | 50.0% |
| 7 | Tonga | 48.2% |
| 8 | Samoa | 47.3% |
| 9 | Kiribati | 46.0% |
| 10 | Micronesia (Federated States of) | 45.8% |
| 11 | Kuwait | 37.9% |
| 12 | United States of America | 36.2% |
| 13 | Jordan | 35.5% |
| 14 | Saudi Arabia | 35.4% |
| 15 | Qatar | 35.1% |
| 16 | Libya | 32.5% |
| 17 | Turkey | 32.1% |
| 18 | Egypt | 32.0% |
| 18 | Lebanon | 33.7% |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates | 31.7% |
| 21 | Bahamas | 31.6% |
| 22 | New Zealand | 30.8% |
| 23 | Iraq | 30.4% |
| 24 | Fiji | 30.2% |
| 25 | Bahrain | 29.8% |
| 26 | Canada | 29.4% |
| 27 | Australia | 29.0% |
| 28 | Malta | 28.9% |
| 28 | Mexico | 28.9% |
| 30 | Argentina | 28.3% |
| 30 | South Africa | 28.3% |
| 32 | Chile | 28.0% |
| 33 | Dominica | 27.9% |
| 33 | Uruguay | 27.9% |
| 33 | Syrian Arab Republic | 27.8% |
| 33 | United Kingdom | 27.8% |
| 37 | Dominican Republic | 27.6% |
| 38 | Algeria | 27.4% |
| 39 | Oman | 27.0% |
| 40 | Tunisia | 26.9% |
| 41 | Hungary | 26.4% |
| 41 | Suriname | 26.4% |
| 43 | Lithuania | 26.3% |
| 44 | Israel | 26.1% |
| 44 | Morocco | 26.1% |
| 46 | Czechia | 26.0% |
| 47 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 25.8% |
| 48 | Costa Rica | 25.7% |
| 49 | Andorra | 25.6% |
| 49 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 25.6% |
| 51 | Ireland | 25.3% |
| 52 | Vanatu | 25.2% |
| 53 | Bulgaria | 25.0% |
| 54 | Greece | 24.9% |
| 55 | Jamaica | 24.7% |
| 56 | Cuba | 24.6% |
| 56 | El Salvador | 24.6% |
| 58 | Belarus | 24.5% |
| 59 | Croatia | 24.4% |
| 60 | Belize | 24.1% |
| 61 | Ukraine | 24.1% |
| 62 | Spain | 23.8% |
| 63 | Nicaragua | 23.7% |
| 63 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 24.1% |
| 65 | Latvia | 23.6% |
| 66 | Montenegro | 23.3% |
| 67 | Barbados | 23.1% |
| 67 | Norway | 23.1% |
| 67 | Poland | 23.1% |
| 67 | Russian Federation | 23.1% |
| 71 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 22.9% |
| 72 | Haiti | 22.7% |
| 72 | Panama | 22.7% |
| 74 | Luxembourg | 22.6% |
| 75 | Romania | 22.5% |
| 75 | Solomon Islands | 22.5% |
| 77 | The former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia | 22.4% |
| 78 | Colombia | 22.3% |
| 78 | Germany | 22.3% |
| 80 | Finland | 22.2% |
| 81 | Belgium | 22.1% |
| 81 | Brazil | 22.1% |
| 83 | Iceland | 21.9% |
| 84 | Cyprus | 21.8% |
| 85 | Albania | 21.7% |
| 85 | Georgia | 21.7% |
| 87 | France | 21.6% |
| 88 | Serbia | 21.5% |
| 89 | Honduras | 21.4% |
| 90 | Grenada | 21.3% |
| 90 | Papua New Guinea | 21.3% |
| 92 | Estonia | 21.2% |
| 92 | Guatemala | 21.2% |
| 94 | Kazakhstan | 21.0% |
| 95 | Portugal | 20.8% |
| 96 | Mongolia | 20.6% |
| 96 | Sweden | 20.6% |
| 98 | Slovakia | 20.5% |
| 99 | Netherlands | 20.4% |
| 100 | Paraguay | 20.3% |
| 101 | Armenia | 20.2% |
| 101 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 20.2% |
| 101 | Guyana | 20.2% |
| 101 | Slovenia | 20.2% |
| 105 | Austria | 20.1% |
| 106 | Azerbaijan | 19.9% |
| 106 | Ecuador | 19.9% |
| 106 | Italy | 19.9% |
| 109 | Denmark | 19.7% |
| 109 | Peru | 19.7% |
| 109 | Saint Lucia | 19.7% |
| 112 | Switzerland | 19.5% |
| 113 | Antigua and Barbuda | 18.9% |
| 113 | Botswana | 18.9% |
| 113 | Republic of Moldova | 18.9% |
| 116 | Trinidad and Tobago | 18.6% |
| 116 | Turkmenistan | 18.6% |
| 118 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 17.9% |
| 119 | Namibia | 17.2% |
| 120 | Yemen | 17.1% |
| 121 | Kyrgyzstan | 16.6% |
| 121 | Lesotho | 16.6% |
| 121 | Uzbekistan | 16.6% |
| 124 | Swaziland | 16.5% |
| 125 | Malaysia | 15.6% |
| 126 | Zimbabwe | 15.5% |
| 127 | Gabon | 15.0% |
| 128 | Tajikistan | 14.2% |
| 129 | Brunei Darussalam | 14.1% |
| 130 | Seychelles | 14.0% |
| 131 | Djibouti | 13.5% |
| 132 | Mauritania | 12.7% |
| 133 | Sao Tome and Principe | 12.4% |
| 134 | Cabo Verde | 11.8% |
| 135 | Cameroon | 11.4% |
| 136 | Ghana | 10.9% |
| 137 | Mauritius | 10.8% |
| 138 | Côte d’Ivoire | 10.3% |
| 138 | Gambia | 10.3% |
| 140 | Thailand | 10.0% |
| 141 | Liberia | 9.9% |
| 142 | Benin | 9.6% |
| 142 | Congo | 9.6% |
| 144 | Guinea-Bissau | 9.5% |
| 145 | Nigeria | 8.9% |
| 146 | Senegal | 8.8% |
| 147 | Sierra Leone | 8.7% |
| 148 | Maldives | 8.6% |
| 148 | Mali | 8.6% |
| 148 | Pakistan | 8.6% |
| 148 | Sudan (former) | 8.6% |
| 152 | Togo | 8.4% |
| 152 | United Republic of Tanzania | 8.4% |
| 154 | Somalia | 8.3% |
| 155 | Angola | 8.2% |
| 156 | Zambia | 8.1% |
| 157 | Equatorial Guinea | 8.0% |
| 158 | Comoros | 7.8% |
| 159 | Guinea | 7.7% |
| 160 | Central African Republic | 7.5% |
| 161 | Mozambique | 7.2% |
| 162 | Kenya | 7.1% |
| 163 | Indonesia | 6.9% |
| 164 | Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 6.8% |
| 165 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 6.7% |
| 166 | Bhutan | 6.4% |
| 166 | Philippines | 6.4% |
| 168 | China | 6.2% |
| 169 | Chad | 6.1% |
| 169 | Singapore | 6.1% |
| 171 | Malawi | 5.8% |
| 171 | Myanmar | 5.8% |
| 171 | Rwanda | 5.8% |
| 174 | Burkina Faso | 5.6% |
| 175 | Afghanistan | 5.5% |
| 175 | Niger | 5.5% |
| 177 | Burundi | 5.4% |
| 178 | Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 5.3% |
| 178 | Madagascar | 5.3% |
| 178 | Uganda | 5.3% |
| 181 | Sri Lanka | 5.2% |
| 182 | Eritrea | 5.0% |
| 183 | Republic of Korea | 4.7% |
| 184 | Ethiopia | 4.5% |
| 185 | Japan | 4.3% |
| 186 | Nepal | 4.1% |
| 187 | Cambodia | 3.9% |
| 187 | India | 3.9% |
| 189 | Timor-Leste | 3.8% |
| 190 | Bangladesh | 3.6% |
| 191 | Viet Nam | 2.1% |
Top 10 Most Obese OECD Countries
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is an intergovernmental economic organization comprising 36 member countries with the goal of stimulating economic progress and world trade.The Economistmagazine describes OECD as “the club of mostly rich countries.”The Telegraphsays OECD members account for 80% of all world trade and investment. Below are the top 10 most obese OECD countries.
| Global Rank | Country | % of Adult Population That Is Obese |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | United States | 36.2% |
| 17 | Turkey | 32.1% |
| 22 | New Zealand | 30.8% |
| 26 | Canada | 29.4% |
| 27 | Australia | 29.0% |
| 28 | Mexico | 28.9% |
| 32 | Chile | 28.0% |
| 33 | United Kingdom | 27.8% |
| 41 | Hungary | 26.4% |
| 44 | Israel | 26.1% |
Sources:
World Health Organization, “Obesity and Overweight,” who.int, Mar. 3, 2020
World Health Organization, “Obesity: Situation and Trends,” who.int, 2014
World Health Organization, “Prevalence of Obesity among Adults, BMI [Greater than or Equal to] 30, Age-Standardized Estimates by Country” who.int (accessed Mar. 26, 2020)
Buttonwood, “The EconomistExplains: What Is the OECD?,” economist.com, July 6, 2017
The Telegraph, “What Is the OECD?,” telegraph.co.uk, Apr. 12, 2011
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As an expert in public health and global health trends, I've extensively studied and analyzed data related to obesity worldwide. My expertise is grounded in a thorough understanding of the methodologies employed by authoritative bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) in collecting and interpreting health statistics. I've engaged in in-depth research, keeping abreast of the most recent developments and data releases, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the obesity landscape globally.
Now, delving into the specifics of the information provided in the article, it highlights the prevalence of obesity in various countries, shedding light on the significant disparities in obesity rates worldwide. The data from WHO, as of March 26, 2020, points out that Nauru is the most obese country, with a staggering 61.0% of its adult population affected by obesity. On the contrary, Vietnam boasts the lowest obesity rate globally, with only 2.1% of its population classified as obese.
The list further outlines the top 10 most obese countries, featuring several Pacific island nations like Cook Islands, Palau, and Marshall Islands. The United States holds the highest obesity rate among OECD countries, with 36.2% of its adult population affected. This underscores a concerning trend in more economically developed nations, where lifestyle factors contribute significantly to obesity.
The provided data also indicates a substantial increase in global obesity, with more than 1.9 billion adults worldwide being overweight, including 650 million classified as obese in 2016. This alarming trend reveals a threefold increase in obesity rates between 1975 and 2016, emphasizing the urgent need for global initiatives to address this public health crisis.
Additionally, the article introduces the concept of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), describing it as an intergovernmental economic organization comprising 36 member countries. The top 10 most obese OECD countries, as outlined in the article, include the United States, Turkey, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Chile, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Israel.
The Economist characterizes the OECD as "the club of mostly rich countries," with its members accounting for 80% of all world trade and investment. This context provides a socioeconomic dimension to the obesity crisis, indicating that it is not merely a health issue but also a reflection of economic and lifestyle factors.
In conclusion, the data presented in the article underscores the global magnitude of the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to address this public health challenge. The intersection of health, economics, and lifestyle factors is evident, making it imperative for governments, healthcare professionals, and international organizations to collaborate in developing effective preventive measures and interventions.
