Share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan
Japan: Share of men who are overweight or obese was 33.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 33.0% for share of men who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan peaked at 33.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 1980.
That places Japan 147th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 16.1% | — |
| 1981 | 16.4% | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 16.8% | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 17.2% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 17.6% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 18.0% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 18.4% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 18.9% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 19.3% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 19.8% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 20.6% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 21.1% | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 21.5% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 21.9% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 22.2% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 22.6% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 23.0% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 23.4% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 23.8% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 24.2% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 24.6% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 24.9% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 25.3% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 25.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 26.3% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 26.6% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 26.8% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 27.1% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 27.3% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 27.6% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 27.9% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 28.2% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 28.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 29.0% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 29.4% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 29.8% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 30.3% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 31.2% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 31.6% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 32.1% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 32.6% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 33.0% | +1.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 33.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 65.1%, 51% of the median. (66 countries reporting)
- Japan's 33.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 53.7%, 62% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.9% | 16.1% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.0% | 20.2% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.7% | 24.2% | 27.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.9% | 27.3% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.1% | 31.2% | 33.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan?
- Share of men who are overweight or obese in Japan was 33.0% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of men who are overweight or obese recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 1980.
- How does Japan rank for share of men who are overweight or obese?
- Japan ranks 147th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of men who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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
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 meters squared.