Share of men who are overweight or obese in Australia

Australia: Share of men who are overweight or obese was 70.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
70.2%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
27th
of 199 countries
All-time high
70.2%
in 2024
All-time low
43.8%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of men who are overweight or obese in Australia, 1980–2024

0204060801980200220241980: 43.8 %1981: 44.8 %1982: 45.8 %1983: 46.8 %1984: 47.8 %1985: 48.9 %1986: 49.9 %1987: 51 %1988: 52 %1989: 53.1 %1990: 54.2 %1991: 55.2 %1992: 56.2 %1993: 57.2 %1994: 58.1 %1995: 59 %1996: 59.8 %1997: 60.6 %1998: 61.3 %1999: 62 %2000: 62.7 %2001: 63.4 %2002: 64 %2003: 64.6 %2004: 65.1 %2005: 65.6 %2006: 66.1 %2007: 66.5 %2008: 66.9 %2009: 67.2 %2010: 67.5 %2011: 67.7 %2012: 67.9 %2013: 68.1 %2014: 68.3 %2015: 68.5 %2016: 68.8 %2017: 69 %2018: 69.2 %2019: 69.4 %2020: 69.5 %2021: 69.7 %2022: 69.9 %2023: 70 %2024: 70.2 %

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 overweight or obese in Australia is 70.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of men who are overweight or obese in Australia peaked at 70.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.8%, in 1980.

Australia ranks 27th of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 48.4% 43.8% 53.1% 10
1990s 58.4% 54.2% 62.0% 10
2000s 65.2% 62.7% 67.2% 10
2010s 68.4% 67.5% 69.4% 10
2020s 69.9% 69.5% 70.2% 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 24 Hungary 71.0% compare
  2. 25 New Zealand 70.8% compare
  3. 26 United Arab Emirates 70.7% compare
  4. 28 Bahamas 70.0% compare
  5. 29 Paraguay 69.8% compare
  6. 30 Lebanon 69.8% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of men who are overweight or obese in Australia?
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Australia was 70.2% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 70.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of men who are overweight or obese recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 43.8% in 1980.
How does Australia rank for share of men who are overweight or obese?
Australia ranks 27th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of men who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia 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 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

Indicator
Share of men who are overweight or 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

A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in metres squared.