Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium
Belgium: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 20.8 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium is 20.8 %, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium peaked at 20.8 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.6 %, in 2000.
Belgium ranks 109th of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.6 % | — |
| 2001 | 14.9 % | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 15.3 % | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 15.6 % | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 15.9 % | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 16.2 % | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 16.5 % | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 16.8 % | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 17 % | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 17.3 % | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 17.5 % | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 17.6 % | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 17.8 % | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 18 % | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 18.2 % | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 18.4 % | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 18.6 % | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 18.8 % | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 19.1 % | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 19.3 % | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 19.6 % | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 19.9 % | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 20.2 % | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 20.5 % | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 20.8 % | +1.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 20.8 % is below the median for high income countries, which is 28 %, 74% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 20.8 % is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.8 %, 95% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.01 % | 14.6 % | 17.3 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.33 % | 17.5 % | 19.3 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.2 % | 19.6 % | 20.8 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 106 Kazakhstan 21.1 % compare
- 106 Mauritius 21.1 % compare
- 108 Bosnia and Herzegovina 21 % compare
- 110 Afghanistan 20.6 % compare
- 110 Belarus 20.6 % compare
- 110 Germany 20.6 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belgium
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -0.3325 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0073 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 443.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2138 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1233 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Belgium was 20.8 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 20.8 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.6 % in 2000.
- How does Belgium rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- Belgium ranks 109th out of 184 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.