LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to the most recent Eurostat figures, 16.3% of European Union adults were affected by obesity in 2025. An additional 35.4% fell within the pre-obese classification. These two segments together made up 51.7% of the population aged 18 and over, indicating that over half of EU adults had a body mass index categorized as overweight.
The statistics reveal notable differences between genders across the EU. The obesity rate was 17.4% among men, whereas women recorded a lower rate of 15.3%. Pre-obesity was found in 41.9% of men compared to 29.3% of women. The prevalence of underweight was higher among women at 2.9%, while among men it was only 1.0%.
Eurostat highlighted considerable disparities among member states regarding obesity levels. Malta led with the highest proportion, at 26.6% of adults classified as obese in 2025. Latvia followed with 24.6%, and Finland ranked third at 23.2%. Conversely, Italy recorded the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%. Greece’s rate was 12.8%, with Romania close behind at 12.9%.
Malta’s Obesity Rate Tops EU
Body mass index, or BMI, assesses weight in kilograms relative to the square of height in metres. Eurostat defines adults with a BMI of 30 or above as obese. Those with a BMI ranging from 25 to below 30 are categorized as pre-obese. The broader overweight classification encompasses both obese and pre-obese individuals, while a BMI below 18.5 indicates underweight status.
Gender-related data shows that in 2025, a greater proportion of men were affected by excess weight compared to women. When combining obesity and pre-obesity, the figures stand at 59.3% for men and 44.6% for women. The difference in obesity alone between the genders was smaller. These statistics apply to individuals aged 18 and older and serve as a standardized measure for comparing weight categories across EU nations.
Supporting EU Health Surveillance with Obesity Data
Obesity rates are integral to the European monitoring efforts tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They contribute to indicators linked with SDG 2, which aims to eradicate hunger and promote better nutrition. Additionally, these figures support the tracking of SDG 3, focused on health and well-being. Such indicators enable policymakers to observe nutrition and health trends using comparable data across member countries.
The 2025 data emphasize that obesity and pre-obesity together constitute a significant part of excess weight issues within the EU. Obesity alone affected roughly one in six adults, while pre-obesity impacted more than one in three. The prevalence across countries ranged from 7.0% in Italy to 26.6% in Malta. Overall, the latest information underscores substantial variability among member states, while confirming that overweight categories collectively affected the majority of EU adults.