Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark
Denmark: Share of adults who are overweight or obese was 46.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark is 46.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark peaked at 46.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28.9%, in 1980.
Denmark ranks 135th 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 overweight or obese in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 28.9% | — |
| 1981 | 29.4% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 30.0% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 30.6% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 31.1% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 31.7% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 32.4% | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 33.0% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 34.2% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 34.8% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 35.4% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 36.1% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 36.7% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 37.3% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 37.9% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 38.5% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 39.1% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 39.8% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 40.4% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 40.9% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 41.5% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 42.1% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 42.6% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 43.1% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 43.5% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 43.9% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 44.2% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 44.5% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 44.7% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 44.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 44.9% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 45.0% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 45.1% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 45.2% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 45.3% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 45.4% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 45.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 45.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 45.9% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 46.1% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 46.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 46.5% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 46.7% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 46.9% | +0.4% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 46.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 60.3%, 78% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 46.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.3%, 83% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 31.5% | 28.9% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.6% | 34.8% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.1% | 40.9% | 44.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.3% | 44.8% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 46.1% | 46.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More reference data data for Denmark
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1915 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4109 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.99 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark?
- Share of adults who are overweight or obese in Denmark was 46.9% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 46.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are overweight or obese recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.9% in 1980.
- How does Denmark rank for share of adults who are overweight or obese?
- Denmark ranks 135th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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 overweight or 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
Overweight is defined here as a body mass index (BMI) above 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.