LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to Eurostat figures, 16.3% of European Union adults were classified as obese in 2025. An additional 35.4% of adults fell into the pre-obese category. Collectively, these groups accounted for 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older, indicating that over half of the adult population in the EU is affected by excess weight. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as a standard measure to compare weight categories across participating nations.
Men exhibited higher prevalence rates of both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. The obesity rate among men reached 17.4%, whereas it was 15.3% for women. Pre-obesity impacted 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combined, the overweight category affected 59.3% of men, while the corresponding figure for women stood at 44.6%. Underweight conditions were more prevalent among women, at 2.9%, contrasted with 1.0% among men.
Data from individual countries highlighted significant variation within the EU. Malta had the highest adult obesity rate at 26.6%, followed by Latvia with 24.6%, and Finland at 23.2%. Italy recorded the lowest rate at 7.0%. Greece reported 12.8%, and Romania had 12.9%. The differences between Malta and Italy, nearly 20 percentage points, represent the widest gap within the dataset.
Malta tops EU obesity rankings
BMI compares an individual’s weight in kilograms to the square of height in metres. A BMI of 30 or above qualifies as obesity, while a BMI from 25 to below 30 designates pre-obesity. The broader overweight classification includes both categories. A BMI below 18.5 indicates underweight status. These thresholds serve as a standardized statistical basis for comparing adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 data reveal that pre-obesity remains more widespread than obesity among adults. Over one-third of adults are in the pre-obese range, and approximately one in six meet the obesity threshold. The combined prevalence of overweight conditions surpasses 50% across the EU. Gender differences are notable, with men exhibiting significantly higher pre-obesity levels, though the disparity in obesity rates between men and women was less pronounced.
EU Uses Obesity Metrics to Support Health and Sustainability Goals
This obesity indicator also underpins the European Union’s efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes specifically to tracking SDG 2, which addresses hunger, food security, and improved nutrition. Additionally, it relates to SDG 3, focusing on health and well-being. The use of common BMI categories enables countries to compare adult weight trends over time and provides a consistent statistical framework across the EU’s member states.
The 2025 findings position excess weight as one of the most prevalent weight categories among EU adults. Obesity alone affected 16.3%, with pre-obesity accounting for another 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest rates of obesity within the bloc, while Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest. Despite national variations, the data confirm that the majority of the adult population in the EU is classified as overweight or obese.