Average HDL cholesterol levels in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Average HDL cholesterol levels was 1.5 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
1.5
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
3rd
of 191 countries
All-time high
1.5
in 2009
All-time low
1.3
in 1980
Years of data
39
1980–2018

Average HDL cholesterol levels in United Kingdom, 1980–2018

00.511.51980199920181980: 1.31981: 1.31982: 1.31983: 1.31984: 1.31985: 1.31986: 1.31987: 1.31988: 1.31989: 1.31990: 1.31991: 1.31992: 1.31993: 1.31994: 1.31995: 1.31996: 1.41997: 1.41998: 1.41999: 1.42000: 1.42001: 1.42002: 1.42003: 1.42004: 1.42005: 1.42006: 1.42007: 1.42008: 1.42009: 1.52010: 1.52011: 1.52012: 1.52013: 1.52014: 1.52015: 1.52016: 1.52017: 1.52018: 1.5

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 1.5 for average hdl cholesterol levels in 2018. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average hdl cholesterol levels in United Kingdom peaked at 1.5 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.3, in 1980.

That places United Kingdom 3rd out of 191 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.3 1.3 1.3 10
1990s 1.34 1.3 1.4 10
2000s 1.41 1.4 1.5 10
2010s 1.5 1.5 1.5 9

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 1 Japan 1.6 compare
  2. 3 Australia 1.5 compare
  3. 3 Austria 1.5 compare
  4. 3 Belgium 1.5 compare
  5. 3 Czechia 1.5 compare
  6. 3 Finland 1.5 compare
  7. 3 France 1.5 compare
  8. 3 Germany 1.5 compare
  9. 3 Iceland 1.5 compare
  10. 3 Latvia 1.5 compare
  11. 3 Sweden 1.5 compare
  12. 3 Switzerland 1.5 compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is average hdl cholesterol levels in United Kingdom?
Average hdl cholesterol levels in United Kingdom was 1.5 in 2018, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average hdl cholesterol levels recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 1.5 in 2009.
What is the lowest average hdl cholesterol levels recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3 in 1980.
How does United Kingdom rank for average hdl cholesterol levels?
United Kingdom ranks 3rd out of 191 countries with data for 2018.
Is average hdl cholesterol levels rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average HDL cholesterol levels. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average HDL cholesterol levels
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
191 places, 7,449 data points, 1980–2018
Last refreshed

The estimated average level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "good cholesterol". Healthy levels are considered to be 1mmol/L or above for men or 1.2mmol/L or above for women.