Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 31.5 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 31.5 %. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 31.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 31.5 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.4 %, in 2000.
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 6th of 37 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.4 % | — |
| 2001 | 16 % | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 16.5 % | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 17 % | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 17.6 % | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 18.1 % | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 18.7 % | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 19.2 % | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 19.8 % | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 20.5 % | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 21.1 % | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 21.8 % | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 22.5 % | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 23.2 % | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 23.9 % | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 24.7 % | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 25.4 % | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 26.1 % | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 26.9 % | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 27.6 % | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 28.4 % | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 29.1 % | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 29.9 % | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 30.7 % | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 31.5 % | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.88 % | 15.4 % | 20.5 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.32 % | 21.1 % | 27.6 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.92 % | 28.4 % | 31.5 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean
- 3 Cook Islands 72.4 % compare
- 3 Micronesia 46.8 % compare
- 4 Nauru 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
- 7 Tuvalu 65.1 % compare
- 7 Melanesia 28.5 % compare
- 8 Samoa 64.3 % compare
- 9 French Polynesia 49.2 % compare
- 9 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 24.6 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 12.72 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 9,098 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 7.12 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 29,996 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 39,094 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 16.69 % (2025)
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,861 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,409 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 13 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 12.4 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean was 31.5 % 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 Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 31.5 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.4 % in 2000.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 6th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean 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.
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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.