LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, European Union adults had an obesity prevalence of 16.3%, according to the most recent Eurostat figures. Additionally, 35.4% of adults were classified as pre-obese. When combined, these groups comprise 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and above, indicating that more than half of the EU adult population had a body mass index categorized as overweight.
The Eurostat data also highlights a distinct disparity between genders within the EU. Obesity affected 17.4% of men and 15.3% of women. Pre-obesity was observed in 41.9% of men, compared to 29.3% of women. Women showed a higher rate of underweight at 2.9%, whereas men registered a lower figure of 1.0%.
Eurostat identified significant differences among EU member states regarding obesity prevalence. Malta recorded the highest rate, with 26.6% of adults classified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed at 24.6%, with Finland ranking third at 23.2%. Conversely, Italy reported the lowest obesity percentage at 7.0%, while Greece had 12.8% and Romania was close behind at 12.9%.
Malta exhibits highest EU obesity rate
Body mass index, or BMI, gauges weight in kilograms relative to height in metres squared. Eurostat designates adults with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Those with a BMI from 25 up to, but not including, 30 are considered pre-obese. The broader overweight category encompasses both obese and pre-obese individuals, whereas a BMI below 18.5 is classified as underweight.
Gender-specific data reveals that excess weight impacted a greater proportion of men than women in 2025. When combining obesity and pre-obesity, the percentage reaches 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. Looking solely at obesity, the difference between sexes narrows. These statistics apply to adults aged 18 and older and provide a standardized metric for comparing weight categories across EU countries.
EU health monitoring relies on obesity data
Obesity rates are integral to European efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They contribute to indicators related to SDG 2, which aims to eliminate hunger and enhance nutrition, as well as SDG 3, which emphasizes health and well-being. These metrics enable policymakers to assess nutrition and health status across nations using comparable data.
The 2025 data set places obesity alongside pre-obesity as key contributors to excess weight in the EU. About one in six adults was affected by obesity alone, while pre-obesity impacted more than one in three. The prevalence varied significantly across member states, with Italy at 7.0% and Malta at 26.6%. Overall, the latest figures underscore considerable variation among countries but confirm that overweight categories collectively influence a majority of EU adults.