Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 42.4 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Puerto Rico, 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 Puerto Rico is 42.4 %, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Puerto Rico peaked at 42.4 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 25.7 %, in 2000.
That places Puerto Rico 15th out of 184 countries 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 Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 25.7 % | — |
| 2001 | 26.5 % | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 27.4 % | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 28.2 % | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 29 % | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 29.7 % | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 30.5 % | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 31.2 % | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 31.9 % | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 32.6 % | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 33.3 % | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 34 % | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 34.7 % | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 35.3 % | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 36 % | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 36.6 % | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 37.3 % | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 38 % | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 38.6 % | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 39.2 % | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 39.9 % | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 40.5 % | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 41.1 % | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 41.8 % | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 42.4 % | +1.4% |
Puerto Rico compared with similar countries
- Puerto Rico's 42.4 % is above the median for high income countries, which is 28 %, 1.5× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Puerto Rico's 42.4 % is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 33.2 %, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.27 % | 25.7 % | 32.6 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.3 % | 33.3 % | 39.2 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.14 % | 39.9 % | 42.4 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 12 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 12 % compare
- 12 Kiribati 45.6 % compare
- 13 Egypt 43.9 % compare
- 13 United Republic of Tanzania 11.5 % compare
- 14 Belize 43.4 % compare
- 14 Caribbean 25.6 % compare
- 16 Lao People's Democratic Republic 9.2 % compare
- 16 Marshall Islands 42 % compare
- 16 Qatar 42 % compare
- 18 Chile 40.5 % compare
- 18 Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.7 % compare
- 18 Palau 40.5 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Puerto Rico
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 0.4415 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0069 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 278.57 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0566 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)
- Rural population 5.7% (2025)
- Rural population growth -2.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Puerto Rico?
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Puerto Rico was 42.4 % 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 42.4 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.7 % in 2000.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
- Puerto Rico ranks 15th out of 184 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.