China vs North Korea: Share of men who are obese
China
10.0%
in 2024
North Korea
9.2%
in 2024
China rank
144th
North Korea rank
147th
Share of men who are obese over time
- China
- North Korea
How they compare
China currently reports 10.0% against 9.2% in North Korea, a difference of 0.8%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times North Korea's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was North Korea ahead.
China ranks 144th and North Korea ranks 147th of 199 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and North Korea in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | North Korea |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.4% | North Korea |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 3.1% | 0.6% | North Korea |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 5.6% | 0.4% | North Korea |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 8.3% | 0.4% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of men who are obese, China or North Korea?
- China, at 10.0% against 9.2% in North Korea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of men who are obese between China and North Korea?
- 0.8%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North Korea?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do China and North Korea rank globally for share of men who are obese?
- China ranks 144th and North Korea ranks 147th 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 men who are obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.