Saudi Arabia vs United States: Share of adults who are overweight or obese
Saudi Arabia
71.8%
in 2024
United States
71.4%
in 2024
Saudi Arabia rank
24th
United States rank
26th
Share of adults who are overweight or obese over time
- Saudi Arabia
- United States
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 71.8% against 71.4% in United States, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 45 years both countries report, Saudi Arabia has been ahead every year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 24th and United States ranks 26th of 199 countries.
Saudi Arabia has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 56.3% | 45.5% | 10.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 60.7% | 55.4% | 5.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 65.8% | 64.2% | 1.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 70.0% | 69.3% | 0.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 71.6% | 71.1% | 0.5% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adults who are overweight or obese, Saudi Arabia or United States?
- Saudi Arabia, at 71.8% against 71.4% in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of adults who are overweight or obese between Saudi Arabia and United States?
- 0.4%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and United States?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Saudi Arabia and United States rank globally for share of adults who are overweight or obese?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 24th and United States ranks 26th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of adults who are overweight or obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Overweight is defined here as a body mass index (BMI) above 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.