Global Child Obesity in Girls by Country (2022)

Childhood obesity has become a growing global health challenge, affecting both developed and developing countries. In 2022, new data revealed striking disparities in the prevalence of obesity among girls worldwide, measured by a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than +2 standard deviations (SD) from the WHO growth standard median. This threshold corresponds to a clinical diagnosis of obesity in children.

This article explores global childhood obesity trends among girls, highlights countries with the highest prevalence rates, and examines broader patterns in relation to geography, development, and public health.

What Does “Obesity” Mean in Children?

Obesity in children is defined differently than in adults. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies childhood obesity as having a BMI-for-age value more than +2 SDs above the WHO Child Growth Standards median. A high BMI can indicate excess body fat and is associated with long-term health risks including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and psychological effects.

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Global Rankings: Childhood Obesity in Girls by Country (2022)

According to the 2022 data, here are the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of obesity in girls:

Rank	Country	Prevalence
1	Tonga	25%
2	Niue	23%
3	Cook Islands	23%
4	Bahamas	21%
5	Palau	21%
6	Tuvalu	16%
7	Seychelles	15%
8	Nauru	15%
9	United States	15%
10	Egypt	15%

Many of the top countries are small island nations in the Pacific, where imported processed foods, reduced physical activity, and economic transitions have contributed to a steep rise in obesity.

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Regional Patterns and Insights

• Pacific Islands Lead Globally: The highest obesity rates in girls are concentrated in Polynesia and Micronesia. Countries like Tonga, Niue, and Cook Islands report rates exceeding 20%.
• Developed Countries Not Immune: The United States, New Zealand, and several Gulf countries (e.g., UAE, Kuwait) rank high on the list, underscoring that economic development alone does not safeguard against childhood obesity.
• Middle-Range Countries: Nations like Chile, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil report moderate rates (12–14%), highlighting the global spread of childhood obesity into Latin America.
• Lowest Prevalence Rates: Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Eastern Europe report extremely low childhood obesity rates among girls, often under 1%. This includes countries like Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Madagascar.

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Countries With Lowest Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Girls (2022)

Rank	Country	Prevalence
200	Madagascar	0%
199	Timor-Leste	0%
198	Burundi	0%
197	Congo	0%
196	Niger	0%

These figures may reflect undernutrition or other developmental health issues, emphasizing the double burden of malnutrition in many low-income countries.

Ranking: Obesity in Children (Girls) by Country (2022)

Rank	Country/Region/World	Prevalence of BMI > 2SD (obesity) lower 95% uncertainty interval
1	Tonga	25%
2	Niue	23%
3	Cook Islands	23%
4	Bahamas	21%
5	Palau	21%
6	Tuvalu	16%
7	Seychelles	15%
8	Nauru	15%
9	United States of America	15%
10	Egypt	15%
11	French Polynesia	14%
12	New Zealand	14%
13	Argentina	14%
14	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	14%
15	Chile	13%
16	Brunei Darussalam	13%
17	Tokelau	13%
18	Mexico	12%
19	Peru	12%
20	Antigua and Barbuda	12%
21	Iraq	12%
22	Barbados	12%
23	Uruguay	12%
24	United Arab Emirates	12%
25	Brazil	12%
26	Samoa	11%
27	Bahrain	11%
28	Kuwait	11%
29	American Samoa	11%
30	Cuba	11%
31	Australia	10%
32	Malaysia	10%
33	Belize	10%
34	Saint Kitts and Nevis	10%
35	Panama	10%
36	Puerto Rico	10%
37	Hungary	9%
38	Jamaica	9%
39	Saint Lucia	9%
40	Marshall Islands	8%
41	Qatar	8%
42	Jordan	8%
43	Dominica	8%
44	Oman	8%
45	Federated States of Micronesia	8%
46	Colombia	8%
47	United Kingdom	8%
48	Turkiye	8%
49	Saudi Arabia	8%
50	Costa Rica	7%
51	Slovenia	7%
52	Finland	7%
53	Bulgaria	7%
54	Cyprus	7%
55	Spain	7%
56	Dominican Republic	7%
57	Guyana	7%
58	Algeria	7%
59	Indonesia	6%
60	Thailand	6%
61	Paraguay	6%
62	Iran	6%
63	Lebanon	6%
64	Greece	6%
65	Canada	6%
66	Bolivia	6%
67	State of Palestine	6%
68	El Salvador	6%
69	Trinidad and Tobago	6%
70	Austria	6%
71	South Korea	6%
72	Estonia	6%
73	Malta	6%
74	South Africa	6%
75	Ecuador	6%
76	Kiribati	6%
77	Venezuela	6%
78	Mauritania	6%
79	North Macedonia	6%
80	Guatemala	6%
81	Mauritius	5%
82	China	5%
83	Libya	5%
84	Ireland	5%
85	Grenada	5%
86	Bermuda	5%
87	Israel	5%
88	Maldives	5%
89	Italy	5%
90	Slovakia	5%
91	Sweden	5%
92	Romania	5%
93	Croatia	5%
94	Serbia	5%
95	Switzerland	5%
96	Armenia	4%
97	Afghanistan	4%
98	Georgia	4%
99	Suriname	4%
100	Honduras	4%
101	Portugal	4%
102	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4%
103	Sri Lanka	4%
104	Nicaragua	4%
105	Taiwan	4%
106	Montenegro	4%
107	Lithuania	4%
108	Fiji	4%
109	Syrian Arab Republic	4%
110	Poland	4%
111	Pakistan	4%
112	Ghana	3%
113	Germany	3%
114	Yemen	3%
115	Morocco	3%
116	Tunisia	3%
117	Azerbaijan	3%
118	Albania	3%
119	Papua New Guinea	3%
120	Latvia	3%
121	Belgium	3%
122	Norway	3%
123	Gabon	3%
124	Singapore	3%
125	Czechia	3%
126	Eswatini	2%
127	Philippines	2%
128	Liberia	2%
129	Kazakhstan	2%
130	Russian Federation	2%
131	Mali	2%
132	Cote d’Ivoire	2%
133	Zambia	2%
134	Viet Nam	2%
135	France	2%
136	India	2%
137	Bhutan	2%
138	Lesotho	2%
139	Cameroon	2%
140	Denmark	2%
141	Netherlands	2%
142	Andorra	2%
143	Botswana	2%
144	Japan	2%
145	Gambia	2%
146	Cabo Verde	2%
147	Solomon Islands	2%
148	Benin	1%
149	Moldova	1%
150	Ukraine	1%
151	Kenya	1%
152	Greenland	1%
153	Uzbekistan	1%
154	Nigeria	1%
155	Comoros	1%
156	Vanuatu	1%
157	Belarus	1%
158	Sierra Leone	1%
159	Guinea	1%
160	Myanmar	1%
161	Mongolia	1%
162	Cambodia	1%
163	Iceland	1%
164	Bangladesh	1%
165	DR Congo	1%
166	North Korea	1%
167	Sudan	1%
168	Luxembourg	1%
169	South Sudan	1%
170	Haiti	1%
171	Zimbabwe	1%
172	Namibia	1%
173	Tajikistan	1%
174	Togo	1%
175	Lao PDR	1%
176	Turkmenistan	1%
177	Nepal	1%
178	Guinea Bissau	1%
179	Rwanda	1%
180	Sao Tome and Principe	1%
181	Malawi	1%
182	Uganda	1%
183	Ethiopia	1%
184	Tanzania	1%
185	Angola	1%
186	Kyrgyzstan	1%
187	Mozambique	1%
188	Burkina Faso	1%
189	Equatorial Guinea	0%
190	Eritrea	0%
191	Central African Republic	0%
192	Senegal	0%
193	Chad	0%
194	Djibouti	0%
195	Somalia	0%
196	Niger	0%
197	Congo	0%
198	Burundi	0%
199	Timor-Leste	0%
200	Madagascar	0%

Source:

NCD-RisC, National Adult Body-Mass Index