LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, 16.3% of European Union adults were affected by obesity, according to recent Eurostat statistics. Alongside this, 35.4% of adults fell into the pre-obese range. Collectively, these groups made up 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and over. The data indicates that more than half of the adult population in the EU had a body mass index categorized as overweight.
The statistics also highlight notable differences between genders across the EU. Among men, the obesity rate was 17.4%, whereas women had a rate of 15.3%. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men, compared with 29.3% of women. Additionally, women had a higher prevalence of underweight at 2.9%, while for men, it was 1.0%.
Eurostat identified significant variation in obesity prevalence among member states. Malta recorded the highest proportion, with 26.6% of adults classified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed at 24.6%, and Finland ranked third with 23.2%. At the lower end, Italy exhibited the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%, with Greece at 12.8% and Romania just slightly higher at 12.9%.
Malta holds the highest EU obesity prevalence
BMI, or body mass index, calculates weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Eurostat classifies adults with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Those with a BMI ranging from 25 to below 30 are considered pre-obese. The broader category of overweight includes both pre-obese and obese individuals, while a BMI below 18.5 is categorized as underweight.
Gender-specific figures reveal that excess weight impacted a higher share of men than women in 2025. When combining obesity and pre-obesity, the rates stand at 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. The obesity-only figures show a narrower gap between sexes. The data encompasses individuals aged 18 and over and provides a unified measure for comparing weight categories across EU nations.
Obesity figures support EU health surveillance efforts
The prevalence of obesity is also a component of European monitoring linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to indicators related to SDG 2, addressing zero hunger and improved nutrition. Furthermore, this data supports tracking SDG 3, which emphasizes health and well-being. These metrics enable authorities to assess nutrition and health status across participating countries using comparable information.
The 2025 data underscores that obesity, alongside pre-obesity, constitutes a significant part of excess weight issues in the EU. About one in six adults was affected by obesity, while pre-obesity impacted more than one-third. The prevalence across countries ranged from 7.0% in Italy to 26.6% in Malta. Overall, the latest figures reveal considerable disparities among member states but confirm that overweight and obesity collectively affect a majority of the adult population within the EU.