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
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia, 1980–2024
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.
Share of men who are overweight or obese in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 13.6% | — |
| 1981 | 14.2% | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 14.8% | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 15.5% | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 16.8% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 17.6% | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 18.3% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 19.1% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 19.9% | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 20.8% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 21.6% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 22.6% | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 23.5% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 24.5% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 25.5% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 26.6% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 27.7% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 28.9% | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 30.1% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 31.3% | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 32.5% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 33.7% | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 34.8% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 36.0% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 37.2% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 38.3% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 39.3% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 40.4% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 41.4% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 42.3% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 43.2% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 44.0% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 44.8% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 45.6% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 46.5% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 47.2% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 48.0% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 48.8% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 49.5% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 50.2% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 51.0% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 51.7% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 52.5% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 53.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58.6%, 91% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 53.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 53.7%, 99% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 110 Trinidad and Tobago 54.1% compare
- 111 Italy 53.6% compare
- 112 Armenia 53.5% compare
- 114 Papua New Guinea 52.7% compare
- 115 Netherlands 51.8% compare
- 116 Venezuela 51.8% compare
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
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
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.