Share of adults who are obese in Japan
Japan: Share of adults who are obese was 5.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are obese in Japan, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 5.2% 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 3.1% on the previous year and up 32.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese in Japan peaked at 5.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1980.
Japan ranks 192nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of adults who are obese in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.6% | — |
| 1981 | 1.6% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 1.7% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.7% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 1.8% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 3.6% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 3.8% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 4.1% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 5.2% | +3.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 5.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 30.0%, 17% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Japan's 5.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.6%, 21% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.6% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 3.5% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 189 Democratic Republic of Congo 5.9% compare
- 190 Bangladesh 5.7% compare
- 191 Rwanda 5.2% compare
- 193 Cambodia 4.9% compare
- 194 Burundi 4.7% compare
- 195 Madagascar 4.1% compare
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese in Japan?
- Share of adults who are obese in Japan was 5.2% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1980.
- How does Japan rank for share of adults who are obese?
- Japan ranks 192nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.