Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 8.6 % in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
8.6 %
Change on year
up 4.9%
Rank
17th
of 20 groups
All-time high
8.6 %
in 2024
All-time low
2.5 %
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 2000–2024

24682000201220242000: 2.5 %2001: 2.6 %2002: 2.8 %2003: 3 %2004: 3.2 %2005: 3.4 %2006: 3.6 %2007: 3.8 %2008: 4 %2009: 4.2 %2010: 4.4 %2011: 4.6 %2012: 4.9 %2013: 5.1 %2014: 5.4 %2015: 5.6 %2016: 5.9 %2017: 6.2 %2018: 6.5 %2019: 6.9 %2020: 7.2 %2021: 7.5 %2022: 7.9 %2023: 8.2 %2024: 8.6 %

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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) stood at 8.6 %. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 59.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) peaked at 8.6 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.5 %, in 2000.

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) ranks 17th of 20 groups on this measure, in the bottom 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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) (percent) — Value in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 2.5 %
2001 2.6 % +4.0%
2002 2.8 % +7.7%
2003 3 % +7.1%
2004 3.2 % +6.7%
2005 3.4 % +6.2%
2006 3.6 % +5.9%
2007 3.8 % +5.6%
2008 4 % +5.3%
2009 4.2 % +5.0%
2010 4.4 % +4.8%
2011 4.6 % +4.5%
2012 4.9 % +6.5%
2013 5.1 % +4.1%
2014 5.4 % +5.9%
2015 5.6 % +3.7%
2016 5.9 % +5.4%
2017 6.2 % +5.1%
2018 6.5 % +4.8%
2019 6.9 % +6.2%
2020 7.2 % +4.3%
2021 7.5 % +4.2%
2022 7.9 % +5.3%
2023 8.2 % +3.8%
2024 8.6 % +4.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.31 % 2.5 % 4.2 % 10
2010s 5.55 % 4.4 % 6.9 % 10
2020s 7.88 % 7.2 % 8.6 % 5

Countries ranked near Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

  1. 14 Belize 43.4 % compare
  2. 15 Puerto Rico 42.4 % compare
  3. 16 Lao People's Democratic Republic 9.2 % compare
  4. 16 Marshall Islands 42 % compare
  5. 16 Qatar 42 % compare
  6. 18 Chile 40.5 % compare
  7. 18 Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.7 % compare
  8. 18 Palau 40.5 % compare
  9. 19 Timor-Leste 3.6 % compare
  10. 20 Cabo Verde 16.7 % compare
  11. 20 Kuwait 40.4 % compare
  12. 20 Viet Nam 2.4 % compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

All data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was 8.6 % 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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
The highest recorded value was 8.6 % in 2024.
What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5 % in 2000.
How does Least Developed Countries (LDCs) rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) ranks 17th out of 20 groups with data for 2024.
Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 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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Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-obesity-in-the-adult-population-18-years-and-older-percent-value/least-developed-countries-ldcs/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) (percent) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
241 places, 6,023 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.