A global ranking of the world’s most obese countries, drawing on the latest data available.
The world’s most obese countries are located in the South Pacific (Shutterstock)
Obesity has been described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a “global ticking time-bomb with huge potential negative economic and health impacts, especially for the poor.”
In 2023, The Global Obesity Observatory released a report on the state of obesity around the world. The report draws on data collected by NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) during a 2022 study about the prevalence of obesity among adults.
The key findings and insights from the new report, along with the complete obesity ranking from 2022, can be found below.
10 Most Obese Countries in The World
These are the 10 most obese countries in the world for the male population.
American Samoa
Nauru
Tokelau
Cook Islands
Niue
Tonga
Tuvalu
Samoa
French Polynesia
United States
These are the 10 most obese countries in the world for the female population.
Tonga
American Samoa
Samoa
Tokelau
Tuvalu
Cook Islands
Nauru
Niue
Egypt
Federated States of Micronesia
Key Findings
Tonga has the world’s most obese female population, with 81.46% of its adult female population classified as obese.
American Samoa has the world’s most obese male population, with 70.29% of its adult male population classified as obese.
Vietnam has the world’s least obese female population, with 2.11% of its adult female population classified as obese.
Ethiopia has the world’s least obese male population, with 1.10% of its adult male population classified as obese.
As of 2022, an estimated 43% of adults worldwide are overweight.
There are at least 2.8 million obesity and overweight-related deaths every year.
Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity has tripled among adults and increased almost five times among children and teens.
The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the USA is $147-210 billion.
World’s Most Obese Countries – Complete Ranking
The table ranks the world’s countries by the prevalence (%) of obesity among adults over 18 years old.
Some countries may have been omitted due to insufficient data.
Male Obesity Data
Rank
Country
%
1
American Samoa
70.29
2
Nauru
69.65
3
Tokelau
67.05
4
Cook Islands
66.05
5
Niue
63.71
6
Tonga
63.37
7
Tuvalu
57.73
8
Samoa
52.83
9
French Polynesia
47.02
10
United States
41.64
11
Qatar
40.79
12
Bahamas
39.78
13
Palau
39.10
14
Federated States of Micronesia
39.02
15
Kuwait
38.88
16
Romania
38.34
17
Saudi Arabia
38.13
18
Marshall Islands
38.09
19
Saint Kitts and Nevis
37.59
20
Puerto Rico
36.46
21
Hungary
36.43
22
Kiribati
36.08
23
Malta
36.02
24
Argentina
35.53
25
Croatia
34.80
26
Georgia
34.34
27
Jordan
34.20
28
Chile
34.10
29
Belize
33.62
30
Iraq
33.35
31
New Zealand
32.99
32
Bahrain
32.91
33
Egypt
32.48
34
Mexico
32.22
35
Poland
32.19
36
Australia
32.05
37
Uruguay
31.64
38
Slovakia
31.42
39
Paraguay
30.76
40
Czechia
30.72
41
Ireland
30.70
42
Brunei Darussalam
30.22
43
Greece
30.06
44
Panama
29.88
45
Palestine
29.77
46
Lebanon
29.53
47
North Macedonia
29.11
48
United Arab Emirates
29.02
49
Nicaragua
28.68
50
Canada
28.16
51
Libya
28.08
52
Uzbekistan
27.88
53
Lithuania
27.87
54
Barbados
27.78
55
United Kingdom
26.94
56
Oman
26.79
57
Syrian Arab Republic
26.71
58
Fiji
26.62
59
Serbia
26.44
60
Turkey
26.22
61
Cyprus
26.18
62
Latvia
25.72
63
Slovenia
25.66
64
Costa Rica
25.55
65
Brazil
25.05
66
Kyrgyzstan
24.96
67
Bermuda
24.47
68
Antigua and Barbuda
24.40
69
Greenland
24.37
70
Russian Federation
24.34
71
Bulgaria
24.08
72
Dominican Republic
24.02
73
Israel
23.81
74
Iceland
23.64
75
Peru
23.62
76
Honduras
23.59
77
El Salvador
23.44
78
Bolivia
23.41
79
Estonia
23.37
80
Germany
23.08
81
Ecuador
23.06
82
Trinidad and Tobago
22.99
83
Guatemala
22.62
84
Mongolia
22.46
85
Bosnia and Herzegovina
22.41
86
Albania
22.27
87
Moldova
22.01
88
Portugal
21.97
89
Finland
21.88
90
Montenegro
21.35
91
Andorra
21.06
92
Luxembourg
20.99
93
Norway
20.93
94
Saint Lucia
20.87
95
Venezuela
20.82
96
Ukraine
20.77
97
Seychelles
20.58
98
Tajikistan
20.57
99
Pakistan
20.49
100
Azerbaijan
20.39
101
Belarus
20.13
102
Tunisia
19.92
103
Armenia
19.81
104
Belgium
19.79
105
Suriname
19.67
106
Turkmenistan
19.60
107
Spain
19.39
108
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
19.23
109
Jamaica
19.21
110
Cuba
19.19
111
Kazakhstan
19.07
112
Grenada
19.06
113
Austria
18.81
114
Colombia
18.58
115
Dominica
18.38
116
Iran
18.26
117
Solomon Islands
18.13
118
Guyana
18.10
119
Italy
17.97
120
Malaysia
17.70
121
Sweden
17.18
122
Vanuatu
17.04
123
Papua New Guinea
16.61
124
Singapore
16.09
125
Algeria
16.03
126
Denmark
15.70
127
Eswatini
15.62
128
Switzerland
15.07
129
Netherlands
15.05
130
Afghanistan
14.88
131
South Africa
14.50
132
Morocco
13.79
133
Maldives
13.23
134
Mauritius
13.07
135
Liberia
13.05
136
Taiwan
12.44
137
Thailand
12.10
138
Sudan
11.74
139
Gabon
11.41
140
Namibia
10.65
141
Yemen
10.49
142
Mali
10.24
143
France
10.18
144
Sao Tome and Princip
10.06
145
Gambia
9.77
146
Cameroon
9.69
147
Bhutan
9.61
148
Mauritania
9.25
149
China
8.94
150
Lesotho
8.82
151
South Korea
8.82
152
Cabo Verde
8.79
153
Botswana
8.76
154
North Korea
8.65
155
Nigeria
8.52
156
Comoros
8.31
157
Equatorial Guinea
8.08
158
Cote d’Ivoire
7.95
159
Guinea-Bissau
7.86
160
Chad
7.71
161
Japan
7.63
162
Benin
7.41
163
Philippines
7.34
164
Sri Lanka
6.76
165
Haiti
6.73
166
Tanzania
6.73
167
Angola
6.53
168
Indonesia
6.53
169
Mozambique
6.50
170
Burundi
6.36
171
Djibouti
6.35
172
Central African Republic
6.33
173
Kenya
6.32
174
Guinea
6.16
175
Somalia
6.07
176
Laos
6.06
177
Togo
5.88
178
Zimbabwe
5.73
179
Myanmar
5.67
180
India
5.38
181
Ghana
5.37
182
Zambia
5.34
183
South Sudan
5.32
184
Nepal
4.97
185
Madagascar
4.63
186
Niger
4.51
187
Congo
4.38
188
Democratic Republic of Congo
4.38
189
Uganda
4.25
190
Burkina Faso
4.17
191
Senegal
4.06
192
Malawi
3.21
193
Cambodia
3.12
194
Bangladesh
2.97
195
Eritrea
2.93
196
Sierra Leone
2.79
197
Vietnam
1.97
198
Rwanda
1.84
199
Timor-Leste
1.58
200
Ethiopia
1.10
The above table is based on male obesity rate data as displayed by the Global Obesity Observatory.
Female Obesity Data
Rank
Country
%
1
Tonga
81.46
2
American Samoa
81.42
3
Samoa
74.93
4
Tokelau
74.90
5
Tuvalu
73.17
6
Cook Islands
73.11
7
Nauru
72.52
8
Niue
70.90
9
Egypt
58.99
10
Federated States of Micronesia
57.45
11
Kiribati
57.16
12
Marshall Islands
56.52
13
Bahamas
55.81
14
Saint Kitts and Nevis
55.10
15
Belize
53.07
16
Qatar
52.46
17
French Polynesia
51.03
18
Kuwait
49.94
19
Jamaica
49.63
20
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
49.55
21
Iraq
49.50
22
Barbados
49.15
23
Saudi Arabia
48.34
24
Libya
47.67
25
South Africa
47.35
26
Palestine
47.24
27
Saint Lucia
47.15
28
Puerto Rico
47.05
29
Jordan
46.10
30
Dominica
45.77
31
Eswatini
45.43
32
Palau
45.30
33
Chile
45.17
34
Bahrain
44.32
35
Panama
44.23
36
United States
43.82
37
Fiji
43.22
38
Grenada
43.17
39
Antigua and Barbuda
42.81
40
Bermuda
42.79
41
Syrian Arab Republic
42.70
42
Turkey
42.62
43
Mexico
41.28
44
Oman
41.21
45
Seychelles
40.88
46
United Arab Emirates
40.80
47
Nicaragua
40.24
48
Suriname
39.85
49
Guyana
39.38
50
Costa Rica
39.04
51
El Salvador
38.46
52
Argentina
37.24
53
Honduras
37.17
54
Paraguay
37.15
55
Uruguay
36.66
56
Dominican Republic
36.52
57
Georgia
36.47
58
Mauritania
36.15
59
Bolivia
35.58
60
New Zealand
35.55
61
Tunisia
35.30
62
Trinidad and Tobago
34.64
63
Uzbekistan
34.16
64
Azerbaijan
34.10
65
Brunei Darussalam
34.10
66
Lesotho
33.91
67
Ecuador
33.49
68
Algeria
33.40
69
Gabon
32.87
70
Brazil
32.60
71
Peru
32.53
72
Guatemala
32.42
73
Iran
32.04
74
Romania
31.95
75
Lebanon
31.76
76
Morocco
31.40
77
Greenland
31.14
78
Equatorial Guinea
30.40
79
Australia
30.00
80
Colombia
29.92
81
Kyrgyzstan
29.75
82
Malta
29.38
83
Armenia
29.36
84
Hungary
28.94
85
Tajikistan
28.76
86
Solomon Islands
28.69
87
United Kingdom
28.30
88
Croatia
28.26
89
Botswana
28.25
90
Ireland
27.86
91
North Macedonia
27.72
92
Greece
27.69
93
Ukraine
27.50
94
Malaysia
27.34
95
Mongolia
27.15
96
Vanuatu
27.12
97
Pakistan
26.94
98
Albania
26.34
99
Papua New Guinea
25.99
100
Mauritius
25.93
101
Cuba
25.87
102
Venezuela
25.77
103
Comoros
25.39
104
Canada
25.32
105
Moldova
25.21
106
Russian Federation
25.14
107
Turkmenistan
24.66
108
Poland
24.62
109
Afghanistan
24.39
110
Maldives
24.22
111
Sao Tome and Principe
24.22
112
Lithuania
24.12
113
Latvia
23.98
114
Slovakia
23.90
115
Somalia
23.84
116
Namibia
23.83
117
Cabo Verde
23.82
118
Belarus
23.70
119
Sudan
23.16
120
Czechia
23.10
121
Portugal
23.02
122
Israel
22.52
123
Estonia
22.21
124
Finland
22.07
125
Zimbabwe
21.80
126
Liberia
21.71
127
Bosnia and Herzegovina
21.55
128
Belgium
21.21
129
Cameroon
21.20
130
Ghana
21.14
131
Cyprus
20.91
132
Gambia
20.82
133
Serbia
20.03
134
Iceland
19.78
135
Kenya
19.31
136
Tanzania
19.02
137
Germany
18.96
138
Kazakhstan
18.92
139
Thailand
18.60
140
Bulgaria
18.56
141
Togo
18.11
142
Norway
18.10
143
Yemen
17.70
144
Italy
17.65
145
Nigeria
17.26
146
Luxembourg
17.03
147
Zambia
16.99
148
Djibouti
16.94
149
Angola
16.88
150
Indonesia
16.58
151
Cote d’Ivoire
16.32
152
Senegal
16.23
153
Montenegro
16.14
154
Bhutan
16.12
155
Andorra
16.05
156
Benin
15.62
157
Guinea-Bissau
15.48
158
Haiti
15.30
159
Netherlands
14.92
160
Sri Lanka
14.68
161
Mozambique
14.28
162
Slovenia
14.13
163
Sweden
14.00
164
Mali
13.43
165
North Korea
13.42
166
Congo
13.29
167
Guinea
13.23
168
Spain
13.03
169
Central African Republic
12.81
170
Austria
12.62
171
Malawi
12.28
172
South Sudan
12.19
173
Sierra Leone
11.86
174
Uganda
11.77
175
Singapore
11.65
176
Denmark
11.42
177
Philippines
10.63
178
Laos
10.50
179
Taiwan
10.08
180
Switzerland
9.91
181
France
9.82
182
India
9.78
183
Myanmar
9.73
184
Burkina Faso
9.62
185
Democratic Republic of Congo
9.35
186
Nepal
9.22
187
Rwanda
8.01
188
Niger
7.95
189
Bangladesh
7.81
190
China
7.78
191
Eritrea
6.89
192
Chad
6.31
193
Cambodia
5.86
194
South Korea
5.65
195
Ethiopia
4.71
196
Madagascar
4.26
197
Burundi
4.20
198
Japan
3.63
199
Timor-Leste
3.27
200
Vietnam
2.11
Sources: ► Ranking (% obesity by country), Global Obesity Observatory. Accessed at: https://data.worldobesity.org/rankings/. ► Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults, The Lancet. Accessed at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02750-2/fulltext. ► Obesity and overweight, World Health Organization. Accessed at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight. ►Obesity, World Health Organization. Accessed at: https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/6-facts-on-obesity. ► World Obesity Day reveals a worrying picture, Think Tank, European Parliament. Accessed at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)739361. ►Fast Facts Costs of Obesity, Milken Institute School of Public Health. Accessed at: https://stop.publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs4356/files/2022-06/fast-facts-costs-of-obesity.pdf
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.