Eurostat data shows rising obesity rates across Europe

New Eurostat data reveals that obesity and excess weight are significant public health challenges across Europe. In 2025, 16.3% of adults in the European Union were classified as obese (BMI of 30 or higher), while an additional 35.4% were categorized as pre-obese (BMI between 25 and 30). This means more than half of the EU adult population is carrying excess weight.

Regional disparities are notable. Malta reports the highest obesity rate at 26.6%, followed by Latvia and Finland. Conversely, Italy maintains the lowest rate at 7.0%, with Greece (12.8%) and Romania (12.9%) also showing relatively lower figures. In Turkey, the obesity rate is reported at 21.4%, which is higher than the EU average. North Macedonia's most recent data from 2022 indicated an obesity rate of 15.4%.

Demographic trends show that men are more likely to be overweight or obese than women. In the EU, 17.4% of men are obese compared to 15.3% of women. Furthermore, 41.9% of men fall into the pre-obese category, significantly higher than the 29.3% recorded for women. These statistics serve as key indicators for monitoring Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.