Share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia

Malaysia: Share of men who are overweight or obese was 53.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
53.2%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
113th
of 199 countries
All-time high
53.2%
in 2024
All-time low
13.6%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

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

10203040501980200220241980: 13.6 %1981: 14.2 %1982: 14.8 %1983: 15.5 %1984: 16.1 %1985: 16.8 %1986: 17.6 %1987: 18.3 %1988: 19.1 %1989: 19.9 %1990: 20.8 %1991: 21.6 %1992: 22.6 %1993: 23.5 %1994: 24.5 %1995: 25.5 %1996: 26.6 %1997: 27.7 %1998: 28.9 %1999: 30.1 %2000: 31.3 %2001: 32.5 %2002: 33.7 %2003: 34.8 %2004: 36 %2005: 37.2 %2006: 38.3 %2007: 39.3 %2008: 40.4 %2009: 41.4 %2010: 42.3 %2011: 43.2 %2012: 44 %2013: 44.8 %2014: 45.6 %2015: 46.5 %2016: 47.2 %2017: 48 %2018: 48.8 %2019: 49.5 %2020: 50.2 %2021: 51 %2022: 51.7 %2023: 52.5 %2024: 53.2 %

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

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 53.2% 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 1.4% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia peaked at 53.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 13.6%, in 1980.

Malaysia ranks 113th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 16.6% 13.6% 19.9% 10
1990s 25.2% 20.8% 30.1% 10
2000s 36.5% 31.3% 41.4% 10
2010s 46.0% 42.3% 49.5% 10
2020s 51.7% 50.2% 53.2% 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 110 Trinidad and Tobago 54.1% compare
  2. 111 Italy 53.6% compare
  3. 112 Armenia 53.5% compare
  4. 114 Papua New Guinea 52.7% compare
  5. 115 Netherlands 51.8% compare
  6. 116 Venezuela 51.8% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia?
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia was 53.2% 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 53.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of men who are overweight or obese recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 13.6% in 1980.
How does Malaysia rank for share of men who are overweight or obese?
Malaysia ranks 113th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of men who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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.