LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, more than half of the adult population within the European Union was classified as either overweight or obese, according to recent Eurostat statistics. Specifically, 16.3% of adults were affected by obesity, while an additional 35.4% fell into the pre-obese range. Collectively, these groups comprised 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and over, indicating that a majority of EU adults had a body mass index considered overweight.
The data also highlighted notable differences between genders across member states. The obesity rate among men stood at 17.4%, compared to 15.3% among women. When it comes to pre-obesity, 41.9% of men were affected, whereas 29.3% of women fell into this category. Additionally, the prevalence of underweight was higher in women at 2.9%, with men at 1.0%.
Eurostat’s report revealed significant disparities in obesity rates among EU countries. Malta had the highest proportion of adults classified as obese in 2025, with 26.6%. Latvia followed at 24.6%, and Finland ranked third with 23.2%. Conversely, Italy recorded the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%, with Greece at 12.8% and Romania close behind at 12.9%.
Malta holds the highest EU obesity rate
Body mass index, or BMI, is a standard measure assessing weight in kilograms relative to height in metres squared. Eurostat defines adults with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Those with BMI values from 25 to less than 30 are considered pre-obese. The broader category of overweight includes both obese and pre-obese individuals, while a BMI under 18.5 signifies underweight status.
Gender-specific figures from 2025 indicate that a larger share of men than women experienced excess weight. The combined prevalence of obesity and pre-obesity was 59.3% among men and 44.6% among women. When examining obesity alone, the gap between sexes was smaller. These statistics focus on adults aged 18 and older, providing a common framework for comparing weight-related health indicators across EU nations.
Weight of obesity data in EU health oversight
Monitoring obesity rates is also part of broader European efforts aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The data contribute to indicators linked to SDG 2, which aims to end hunger and promote better nutrition, as well as SDG 3, focused on health and well-being. Such measures enable policymakers to track nutritional and health outcomes using comparable data across member states.
The 2025 statistics position obesity and pre-obesity as significant contributors to excess weight within the EU. About one in six adults was affected solely by obesity, while pre-obesity impacted over one-third of the population. The results vary significantly across countries, from 7.0% in Italy to 26.6% in Malta. Overall, the latest findings confirm that overweight categories collectively encompass the majority of adults in the European Union, highlighting the ongoing public health challenge.