LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to the latest data from European Union, 16.3% of adults in 2025 were classified as obese. An additional 35.4% 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 the adult population within the EU had a body mass index categorized as overweight.
The data further revealed notable gender differences across EU nations. The obesity prevalence stood at 17.4% among men and 15.3% among women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men compared to 29.3% of women. Additionally, women showed a higher rate of being underweight at 2.9%, while for men, the figure was 1.0%.
Eurostat highlighted significant disparities in obesity rates across member states. Malta led with 26.6% of adults identified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed at 24.6%, with Finland in third place at 23.2%. Conversely, Italy recorded the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%. Greece was at 12.8%, with Romania close behind at 12.9%.
Malta has the highest obesity prevalence within the EU
BMI, or body mass index, quantifies weight in kilograms relative to height in metres squared. Eurostat classifies adults with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Those with a BMI between 25 and under 30 are considered pre-obese. The combined overweight group includes both obese and pre-obese individuals, whereas a BMI below 18.5 is categorized as underweight.
Gender-specific data indicates that excess weight impacted a larger proportion of men than women in 2025. The combined rate of obesity and pre-obesity was 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. The difference between sexes in obesity alone was narrower. These figures encompass individuals aged 18 and older and serve as a standardized metric for comparing weight categories among EU countries.
Obesity statistics aid EU health assessment efforts
The prevalence of obesity also plays a role in European efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to indicators related to SDG 2, which aims to achieve zero hunger and promote better nutrition. Furthermore, it supports the tracking of SDG 3, focusing on health and well-being. These measures enable policymakers to evaluate nutrition and health metrics consistently across member states.
The 2025 data underscores that obesity and pre-obesity together constitute a significant part of excess weight issues across the EU. Obesity alone affected roughly one in six adults, while pre-obesity impacted over one in three. Variations among countries ranged from 7.0% in Italy to 26.6% in Malta. Overall, recent figures confirm considerable differences across nations but also demonstrate that the combined overweight categories encompass the majority of the adult population in the EU.