LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – Data from the latest Eurostat report indicates that in 2025, 16.3% of European Union adults were classified as obese. An additional 35.4% of adults fell into the pre-obese range, making the combined total of overweight or obese individuals 51.7% among those aged 18 and above. These statistics demonstrate that more than half of the EU’s adult population had a body mass index categorized as overweight.
The report also highlights noticeable differences between genders within the EU. The obesity prevalence was 17.4% among men, while women had a rate of 15.3%. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men compared to 29.3% of women. Additionally, women exhibited a higher underweight rate at 2.9%, whereas the corresponding figure for men was 1.0%.
Eurostat revealed significant variation in obesity prevalence across EU member states. Malta recorded the highest proportion, with 26.6% of adults classified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed with 24.6%, and Finland ranked third with 23.2%. Conversely, Italy reported the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%, with Greece at 12.8% and Romania close behind at 12.9%.
Malta leads the EU in obesity rates
Body mass index, or BMI, is a standard metric that evaluates weight in kilograms relative to height in metres squared. According to Eurostat, adults with a BMI of 30 or above are classified 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, while a BMI below 18.5 is categorized as underweight.
Gender data shows that a greater share of men than women were affected by excess weight in 2025. The combined figures for obesity and pre-obesity give 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. When looking solely at obesity, the difference between sexes is less pronounced. These statistics cover people aged 18 and older and serve as a consistent measure for comparing weight categories across EU countries.
EU health monitoring benefits from obesity statistics
The obesity prevalence also contributes to European efforts to monitor progress aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It plays a role in tracking SDG 2 indicators, which focus on zero hunger and enhanced nutrition. Furthermore, it supports SDG 3, aimed at health and well-being, allowing authorities to observe nutrition and health trends using comparable data across participating nations.
The 2025 results position obesity alongside pre-obesity as key components of excess weight within the EU. Obesity alone impacts roughly one in six adults, while pre-obesity affects over one in three. Variations between countries are evident, with Italy at 7.0% and Malta at 26.6%. These figures underscore the significant differences among member states but confirm that overweight categories collectively encompass a majority of the adult population in the EU.