LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to the latest Eurostat data, 16.3% of adults within the European Union were affected by obesity in 2025. An additional 35.4% of the adult population fell into the pre-obese category. Collectively, these two groups make up 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older. The statistics indicate that more than half of EU adults had a body mass index classified as overweight.
Clear disparities between genders across the EU are also evident in the data. The obesity prevalence was 17.4% among men and 15.3% among women. Pre-obesity impacted 41.9% of men, whereas 29.3% of women fell into this category. The rate of underweight was higher among women at 2.9%, compared to 1.0% for men.
Eurostat highlighted significant differences in obesity prevalence among EU member states. Malta reported the highest proportion, with 26.6% of adults classified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed closely at 24.6%, with Finland ranking third at 23.2%. Conversely, Italy registered the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%, with Greece at 12.8%, and Romania just behind at 12.9%.
Malta has the highest obesity rate within the EU
The body mass index, or BMI, quantifies weight in kilograms relative to height in metres squared. Eurostat designates adults with a BMI of 30 or more as obese. A BMI ranging from 25 to less than 30 categorizes individuals as pre-obese. The broader overweight category includes both obese and pre-obese adults, while a BMI below 18.5 indicates underweight status.
Data by gender reveal that excess weight was more prevalent among men than women in 2025. Combining obesity and pre-obesity figures yields 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. When considering only obesity, the gap between genders narrows. These figures encompass individuals aged 18 and above, providing a uniform metric for comparing weight categories across EU nations.
EU health monitoring incorporates obesity statistics
Obesity rates are integral to European efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The data contribute to indicators related to SDG 2, which aims to end hunger and promote better nutrition. They also aid in tracking SDG 3, focusing on health and well-being. This framework allows authorities to assess nutrition and health conditions using comparable data across different countries.
The 2025 statistics show that obesity, together with pre-obesity, constitutes a significant aspect of excess weight in the EU. About one in six adults is affected by obesity alone, while pre-obesity accounts for more than one in three. Variations among countries range from 7.0% in Italy to 26.6% in Malta. These figures demonstrate considerable differences across member states but also confirm that the combined overweight categories encompass a majority of the EU adult population.