Share of men who are obese in China
China: Share of men who are obese was 10.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of men who are obese in China, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of men who are obese in China stood at 10.0%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and up 103.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of men who are obese in China peaked at 10.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1980.
That places China 144th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of men who are obese in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.3% | — |
| 1981 | 0.4% | +7.3% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +8.0% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +8.5% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +8.9% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +9.2% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | +9.7% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | +9.8% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | +9.8% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +9.6% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | +9.4% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | +9.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | +8.7% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | +8.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +8.1% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | +7.9% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +7.7% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | +7.6% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +7.6% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 2.0% | +7.5% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 2.3% | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +8.1% |
| 2007 | 2.9% | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 3.4% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | +7.8% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 4.6% | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +7.8% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 6.1% | +7.5% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | +7.3% |
| 2019 | 7.1% | +7.2% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 8.7% | +7.2% |
| 2023 | 9.3% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | 10.0% | +7.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 10.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 20.7%, 48% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 10.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 20.5%, 49% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 3.7% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.7% | 7.6% | 10.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 141 South Korea 10.4% compare
- 142 Yemen 10.3% compare
- 143 Sao Tome and Principe 10.3% compare
- 145 Bhutan 9.8% compare
- 146 Cameroon 9.5% compare
- 147 North Korea 9.2% compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of men who are obese in China?
- Share of men who are obese in China was 10.0% 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 men who are obese recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of men who are obese recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1980.
- How does China rank for share of men who are obese?
- China ranks 144th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of men who are obese rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 103.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 men 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 as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.