Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 34 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in New Zealand, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 34 % 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 0.9% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in New Zealand peaked at 34 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.4 %, in 2000.
That places New Zealand 40th out of 184 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.4 % | — |
| 2001 | 22.2 % | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 23 % | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 23.8 % | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 24.6 % | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 25.3 % | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 26 % | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 26.7 % | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 27.3 % | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 27.9 % | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 28.4 % | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 28.9 % | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 29.4 % | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 29.8 % | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 30.2 % | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 30.7 % | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 31.1 % | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 31.5 % | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 31.8 % | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 32.2 % | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 32.6 % | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 32.9 % | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 33.3 % | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 33.7 % | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 34 % | +0.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 34 % is above the median for high income countries, which is 28 %, 1.2× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 34 % is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28 %, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.82 % | 21.4 % | 27.9 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.4 % | 28.4 % | 32.2 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.3 % | 32.6 % | 34 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 37 Antigua and Barbuda 34.6 % compare
- 37 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 34.6 % compare
- 39 Bermuda 34.1 % compare
- 41 Seychelles 33.9 % compare
- 42 Libya 33.7 % compare
- 42 Nicaragua 33.7 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -10.07 % change on previous year (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0401 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,976 current US$ per person (2023)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.275 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.0% (2023)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.0% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in New Zealand?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in New Zealand was 34 % 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 34 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4 % in 2000.
- How does New Zealand rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- New Zealand ranks 40th out of 184 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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
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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.