Share of adults who are obese in Panama

Panama: Share of adults who are obese was 37.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
37.8%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
28th
of 199 countries
All-time high
37.8%
in 2024
All-time low
6.2%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of adults who are obese in Panama, 1980–2024

102030401980200220241980: 6.2 %1981: 6.5 %1982: 6.8 %1983: 7.1 %1984: 7.5 %1985: 7.8 %1986: 8.2 %1987: 8.6 %1988: 9.1 %1989: 9.6 %1990: 10 %1991: 10.6 %1992: 11.1 %1993: 11.7 %1994: 12.3 %1995: 13 %1996: 13.6 %1997: 14.3 %1998: 15 %1999: 15.8 %2000: 16.5 %2001: 17.3 %2002: 18.1 %2003: 18.9 %2004: 19.6 %2005: 20.5 %2006: 21.3 %2007: 22.1 %2008: 23 %2009: 23.9 %2010: 24.8 %2011: 25.7 %2012: 26.7 %2013: 27.6 %2014: 28.6 %2015: 29.5 %2016: 30.4 %2017: 31.4 %2018: 32.3 %2019: 33.2 %2020: 34.1 %2021: 35 %2022: 35.9 %2023: 36.8 %2024: 37.8 %

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

Analysis

In 2024, share of adults who are obese in Panama stood at 37.8%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 32.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese in Panama peaked at 37.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 1980.

Panama ranks 28th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.7% 6.2% 9.6% 10
1990s 12.7% 10.0% 15.8% 10
2000s 20.1% 16.5% 23.9% 10
2010s 29.0% 24.8% 33.2% 10
2020s 35.9% 34.1% 37.8% 5

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 25 Fiji 39.3% compare
  2. 26 Saudi Arabia 39.2% compare
  3. 27 Argentina 38.1% compare
  4. 29 Brunei 37.7% compare
  5. 30 Romania 37.7% compare
  6. 31 Mexico 37.4% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of adults who are obese in Panama?
Share of adults who are obese in Panama was 37.8% 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 Panama?
The highest recorded value was 37.8% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of adults who are obese recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 1980.
How does Panama rank for share of adults who are obese?
Panama ranks 28th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of adults who are obese rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Panama 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

Indicator
Share of adults who are obese
Unit
%
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
199 places, 8,955 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed

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.