Share of men who are overweight or obese in China

China: Share of men who are overweight or obese was 44.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
44.9%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
132nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
44.9%
in 2024
All-time low
5.2%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

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

102030401980200220241980: 5.2 %1981: 5.6 %1982: 6 %1983: 6.5 %1984: 7 %1985: 7.5 %1986: 8.1 %1987: 8.7 %1988: 9.4 %1989: 10.1 %1990: 10.8 %1991: 11.6 %1992: 12.4 %1993: 13.2 %1994: 14.1 %1995: 15 %1996: 15.8 %1997: 16.7 %1998: 17.5 %1999: 18.4 %2000: 19.2 %2001: 20.1 %2002: 20.9 %2003: 21.7 %2004: 22.5 %2005: 23.4 %2006: 24.3 %2007: 25.2 %2008: 26.1 %2009: 27.1 %2010: 28.1 %2011: 29.1 %2012: 30.2 %2013: 31.3 %2014: 32.5 %2015: 33.8 %2016: 35 %2017: 36.3 %2018: 37.5 %2019: 38.7 %2020: 40 %2021: 41.2 %2022: 42.4 %2023: 43.7 %2024: 44.9 %

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 overweight or obese in China stood at 44.9%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 38.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of men who are overweight or obese in China peaked at 44.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1980.

That places China 132nd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.4% 5.2% 10.1% 10
1990s 14.6% 10.8% 18.4% 10
2000s 23.1% 19.2% 27.1% 10
2010s 33.3% 28.1% 38.7% 10
2020s 42.4% 40.0% 44.9% 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 129 Guyana 46.3% compare
  2. 130 Morocco 45.6% compare
  3. 131 Afghanistan 45.5% compare
  4. 133 Vanuatu 44.0% compare
  5. 134 Dominica 43.7% compare
  6. 135 Thailand 43.4% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of men who are overweight or obese in China?
Share of men who are overweight or obese in China was 44.9% 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 men who are overweight or obese recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 44.9% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of men who are overweight or obese recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1980.
How does China rank for share of men who are overweight or obese?
China ranks 132nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of men who are overweight or obese rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 38.2%. 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 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.