European obesity rates and chronic disease trends

Recent Eurostat data reveals that more than half of adults in the European Union are overweight. As of 2025, 16.3% of Europeans aged 18 and older are obese, while an additional 35.4% are classified as overweight. Obesity rates vary significantly by country, with Malta recording the highest rate at 26.6%, followed by Latvia at 24.6% and Finland at 23.2%. Conversely, Italy has the lowest obesity rate at 7%. Greece reports an obesity rate of 12.8%, which is below the EU average.

In Greece, the health landscape is further challenged by a high prevalence of chronic diseases. More than 40% of adults live with a chronic condition, and among those over 65, approximately half suffer from two or more simultaneous conditions. Major health issues include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and chronic kidney disease, which collectively account for roughly 85% of the country's morbidity burden.

Experts note that the Greek healthcare system remains heavily hospital-centric, with over 40% of health expenditures directed toward hospitals, compared to a European average of approximately 28%. In contrast, spending on preventative care was only 3.1% in 2023. The combination of an aging population and rising multi-morbidity is expected to increase pressure on the National Health System.