Share of men who are obese in South Korea
South Korea: Share of men who are obese was 10.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of men who are obese in South Korea, 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 men who are obese in South Korea is 10.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.9% on the previous year and up 118.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of men who are obese in South Korea peaked at 10.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1980.
South Korea ranks 141st of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 3.6% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 7.6% | 10.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of men who are obese in South Korea?
- Share of men who are obese in South Korea was 10.4% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of men who are obese recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1980.
- How does South Korea rank for share of men who are obese?
- South Korea ranks 141st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of men who are obese rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 118.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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.