Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Southern Europe

Southern Europe: Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) was 17 % in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
17 %
Change on year
down 1.2%
Rank
19th
of 37 groups
All-time high
18.5 %
in 2011
All-time low
15.6 %
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Southern Europe, 2000–2024

051015202000201220242000: 15.6 %2001: 16 %2002: 16.3 %2003: 16.7 %2004: 17 %2005: 17.4 %2006: 17.7 %2007: 17.9 %2008: 18.2 %2009: 18.3 %2010: 18.4 %2011: 18.5 %2012: 18.4 %2013: 18.4 %2014: 18.3 %2015: 18.2 %2016: 18.1 %2017: 18 %2018: 17.9 %2019: 17.7 %2020: 17.6 %2021: 17.5 %2022: 17.3 %2023: 17.2 %2024: 17 %

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 Southern Europe stood at 17 %.

That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Southern Europe peaked at 18.5 % in 2011 and was at its lowest, 15.6 %, in 2000.

Southern Europe ranks 19th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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 Southern Europe, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) (percent) — Value in Southern Europe, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 15.6 %
2001 16 % +2.6%
2002 16.3 % +1.9%
2003 16.7 % +2.5%
2004 17 % +1.8%
2005 17.4 % +2.4%
2006 17.7 % +1.7%
2007 17.9 % +1.1%
2008 18.2 % +1.7%
2009 18.3 % +0.5%
2010 18.4 % +0.5%
2011 18.5 % +0.5%
2012 18.4 % -0.5%
2013 18.4 % +0.0%
2014 18.3 % -0.5%
2015 18.2 % -0.5%
2016 18.1 % -0.5%
2017 18 % -0.6%
2018 17.9 % -0.6%
2019 17.7 % -1.1%
2020 17.6 % -0.6%
2021 17.5 % -0.6%
2022 17.3 % -1.1%
2023 17.2 % -0.6%
2024 17 % -1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.11 % 15.6 % 18.3 % 10
2010s 18.19 % 17.7 % 18.5 % 10
2020s 17.32 % 17 % 17.6 % 5

Countries ranked near Southern Europe

  1. 16 Lao People's Democratic Republic 9.2 % compare
  2. 16 Marshall Islands 42 % compare
  3. 16 Qatar 42 % compare
  4. 18 Chile 40.5 % compare
  5. 18 Democratic Republic of the Congo 6.7 % compare
  6. 18 Palau 40.5 % compare
  7. 19 Timor-Leste 3.6 % compare
  8. 20 Cabo Verde 16.7 % compare
  9. 20 Kuwait 40.4 % compare
  10. 20 Viet Nam 2.4 % compare
  11. 21 Saudi Arabia 40.1 % compare
  12. 22 Iraq 39.7 % compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Europe

All data for Southern Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Southern Europe?
Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) in Southern Europe was 17 % 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 Southern Europe?
The highest recorded value was 18.5 % in 2011.
What is the lowest prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) recorded in Southern Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 15.6 % in 2000.
How does Southern Europe rank for prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older)?
Southern Europe ranks 19th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
Is prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) rising or falling in Southern Europe?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Southern Europe 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 Southern Europe. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-obesity-in-the-adult-population-18-years-and-older-percent-value/southern-europe/

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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.