LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – Eurostat reports that in 2025, obesity impacted 16.3% of European Union grown-ups. Additionally, 35.4% of adults fell into the pre-obese classification. When combined, these groups accounted for 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older. These statistics indicate that more than half of the EU adult population is affected by excess weight. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as a standard to evaluate weight categories across participating nations.
Data shows that men experienced higher prevalence rates of both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. The obesity rate was 17.4% for men versus 15.3% for women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When these two groups are combined, the prevalence of overweight among men reaches 59.3%, while the figure for women stands at 44.6%. Underweight was more prevalent among women at 2.9%, contrasted with 1.0% in men.
Results from individual countries reveal significant variation across EU member states. Malta reported the highest obesity rate at 26.6% of adults, followed by Latvia at 24.6% and Finland at 23.2%. Italy recorded the lowest rate at 7.0%. Greece reported 12.8%, while Romania’s figure was 12.9%. The data highlights nearly a 20 percentage point gap between Malta and Italy, representing the highest and lowest rates in the dataset.
Malta Leads the EU in Obesity Rates
BMI compares an individual’s weight in kilograms to the square of their height in meters. A BMI of 30 or above classifies as obese, while a BMI ranging from 25 to less than 30 falls into the pre-obese category. The overall overweight measure combines both classifications. A BMI below 18.5 indicates an underweight status. These standardized thresholds facilitate comparative analysis of adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 figures also indicate that pre-obesity remains more prevalent than obesity among adults. Over one-third of adults were in the pre-obese group, and approximately one in six reached the obesity threshold. This combined figure pushes the EU’s overweight prevalence above 50%. Gender differences are notable, with men exhibiting significantly higher pre-obesity rates, although the gap in obesity rates between genders is smaller.
EU Monitors Obesity as Part of Its Health Objectives
The obesity metric also supports European efforts to track progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to monitoring SDG 2, which addresses hunger, food security, and nutrition improvements. Additionally, it is linked to SDG 3, focused on health and well-being. Applying uniform BMI categories enables countries to compare adult weight trends over time, fostering consistent statistical analysis across the EU population.
The 2025 data underscore that excess weight remains one of the most widespread weight issues among EU adults. Obesity alone affected 16.3%, with pre-obesity accounting for another 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest obesity rates in the bloc, whereas Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest. While national figures vary considerably, the data confirm that overweight categories combined encompass a majority of the adult population across the EU.