Share of adults who are obese in Belgium
Belgium: Share of adults who are obese was 22.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are obese in Belgium, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 22.9% for share of adults who are obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese in Belgium peaked at 22.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 1980.
Belgium ranks 110th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of adults who are obese in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.9% | — |
| 1981 | 12.0% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 12.1% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 12.2% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 12.4% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 12.5% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 12.6% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 12.8% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 13.0% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 13.1% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 13.3% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 13.5% | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 14.0% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 14.3% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 14.9% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 15.2% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 15.9% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 16.6% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 16.9% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 17.7% | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 18.3% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 18.6% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 19.1% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 19.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 19.8% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 20.1% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 20.3% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 20.8% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 21.0% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 21.3% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 21.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 22.2% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 22.5% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 22.9% | +1.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 22.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.0%, 76% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 22.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 25.3%, 90% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.5% | 11.9% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.5% | 13.3% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.8% | 16.2% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.2% | 19.3% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.2% | 21.6% | 22.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese in Belgium?
- Share of adults who are obese in Belgium was 22.9% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of adults who are obese recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 1980.
- How does Belgium rank for share of adults who are obese?
- Belgium ranks 110th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium 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 Share of adults who are obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Obesity is defined here as a body mass index (BMI) above 30. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.