Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Central America
Central America: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 35.8 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Central America, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Central America recorded 35.8 % for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Central America peaked at 35.8 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 20.1 %, in 2000.
That places Central America 3rd out of 37 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
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 Central America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.1 % | — |
| 2001 | 20.8 % | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 21.4 % | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 22.1 % | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 22.7 % | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 23.3 % | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 24 % | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 24.6 % | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 25.2 % | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 25.9 % | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 26.6 % | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 27.2 % | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 27.9 % | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 28.6 % | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 29.3 % | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 30 % | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 30.6 % | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 31.3 % | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 31.9 % | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 32.6 % | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 33.2 % | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 33.9 % | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 34.5 % | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 35.1 % | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 35.8 % | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.01 % | 20.1 % | 25.9 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.6 % | 26.6 % | 32.6 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.5 % | 33.2 % | 35.8 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Central America
- 1 American Samoa 75.9 % compare
- 1 Polynesia 59.1 % compare
- 2 Micronesia (Federated States of) 48.6 % compare
- 2 Tonga 73.8 % compare
- 3 Cook Islands 72.4 % compare
- 3 Micronesia 46.8 % compare
- 4 Naoero 71.4 % compare
- 4 Syrian Arab Republic 33 % compare
- 5 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 29.7 % compare
- 5 Tokelau 70.7 % compare
- 6 Niue 66.9 % compare
- 6 Türkiye 28.8 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Central America
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Milk, Total — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 5.25 % change on previous year (2024)
- Milk, Total — Production, annual growth rate 0.6948 % change on previous year (2024)
- Milk, Total — Milk Animals, annual growth rate -4.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Area harvested, annual growth rate -0.4841 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate -0.7169 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate 0.7833 % change on previous year (2024)
- Poultry Birds — Stocks, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate 0.3419 % change on previous year (2024)
- Meat, Total — Production, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Central America?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Central America was 35.8 % 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 Central America?
- The highest recorded value was 35.8 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Central America?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.1 % in 2000.
- How does Central America rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- Central America ranks 3rd out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Central America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Central America 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.