Share of men who are obese in India

India: Share of men who are obese was 5.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
5.7%
Change on year
up 5.4%
World rank
176th
of 199 countries
All-time high
5.7%
in 2024
All-time low
0.2%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of men who are obese in India, 1980–2024

02461980200220241980: 0.202 %1981: 0.218 %1982: 0.237 %1983: 0.257 %1984: 0.279 %1985: 0.302 %1986: 0.328 %1987: 0.355 %1988: 0.385 %1989: 0.418 %1990: 0.453 %1991: 0.492 %1992: 0.534 %1993: 0.58 %1994: 0.631 %1995: 0.687 %1996: 0.75 %1997: 0.821 %1998: 0.9 %1999: 0.989 %2000: 1.1 %2001: 1.2 %2002: 1.3 %2003: 1.4 %2004: 1.6 %2005: 1.7 %2006: 1.8 %2007: 2 %2008: 2.2 %2009: 2.3 %2010: 2.5 %2011: 2.7 %2012: 2.8 %2013: 3 %2014: 3.2 %2015: 3.4 %2016: 3.6 %2017: 3.9 %2018: 4.1 %2019: 4.4 %2020: 4.6 %2021: 4.9 %2022: 5.2 %2023: 5.4 %2024: 5.7 %

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

Analysis

India recorded 5.7% for share of men who are obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 78.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of men who are obese in India peaked at 5.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1980.

India ranks 176th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 10
1990s 0.7% 0.5% 1.0% 10
2000s 1.7% 1.1% 2.3% 10
2010s 3.4% 2.5% 4.4% 10
2020s 5.2% 4.6% 5.7% 5

Countries ranked near India

  1. 173 Zimbabwe 6.1% compare
  2. 174 Somalia 6.0% compare
  3. 175 Myanmar 5.8% compare
  4. 177 Mozambique 5.7% compare
  5. 178 Kenya 5.6% compare
  6. 179 Zambia 5.6% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of men who are obese in India?
Share of men who are obese in India was 5.7% 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 5.7% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of men who are obese recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1980.
How does India rank for share of men who are obese?
India ranks 176th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of men who are obese rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 78.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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

Indicator
Share of men 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 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.