Obesity Atlas 2026

Childhood obesity is rising at an unprecedented rate, making it the focus of the World Obesity Atlas 2026. The prevalence of obesity among school-age children has increased from 4% in 1975 to nearly 20% in 2022, and the fastest increases are in low- and middle-income countries where most of the world’s children live. For the first time in history, more children globally will be living with obesity than with underweight.

The data in this Atlas presents a comprehensive and urgent picture of the scale, distribution and projected trajectory of childhood obesity. It includes new global, regional, and national estimates of children living with overweight and obesity, along with projections extending to 2040. It also provides updated figures on the number of children already exhibiting early signs of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and liver disease as a result of excess weight. In addition, it assesses national performance across seven indicators measuring children’s exposure to obesity risk factors and evaluates how countries are performing on seven key policies designed to protect children from obesity. Finally, the Atlas includes 196 national scorecards detailing country-level data to inform local advocacy and action.

Country scorecards can be downloaded individually below by selecting from the drop down menu. Scorecards are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese. Every effort has been made to ensure our translations are accurate.

 

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