Share of adults who are obese in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Share of adults who are obese was 24.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are obese in Bulgaria, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bulgaria recorded 24.0% for share of adults who are obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese in Bulgaria peaked at 24.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.8%, in 1980.
Bulgaria ranks 102nd 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 Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.8% | — |
| 1981 | 11.9% | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 12.1% | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 12.2% | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 12.4% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 12.6% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 12.8% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 12.9% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 13.1% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 13.2% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 13.4% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 13.6% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 13.8% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 14.0% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 14.1% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 14.3% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 14.6% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 14.8% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 15.1% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 15.5% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 15.8% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 16.2% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 16.6% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 17.3% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 18.1% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 18.9% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 19.3% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 20.5% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 20.9% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 21.6% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 22.3% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 22.5% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 23.1% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 23.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 23.5% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 23.7% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 24.0% | +1.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 24.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.0%, 80% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 24.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 25.3%, 95% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.5% | 11.8% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.3% | 13.4% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.5% | 15.8% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 19.8% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.5% | 23.1% | 24.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More reference data data for Bulgaria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3067 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2728 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2506 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.73 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.608 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.36 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese in Bulgaria?
- Share of adults who are obese in Bulgaria was 24.0% 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.8% in 1980.
- How does Bulgaria rank for share of adults who are obese?
- Bulgaria ranks 102nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.