LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to Eurostat data, 16.3% of European Union adults were classified as obese in 2025. An additional 35.4% fell into the pre-obese category, making a combined 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older affected by excess weight. These figures highlight that over half of the adult population in the EU is impacted by overweight conditions. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as the standard metric for comparing weight classifications across member countries.
Men exhibited higher prevalence rates for both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women, with obesity affecting 17.4% of men versus 15.3% of women. Pre-obesity was present in 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combined, the overweight rate among men reached 59.3%, while women showed a figure of 44.6%. Underweight status was more common among women, at 2.9%, compared to 1.0% among men.
The country-specific data reveal significant differences within the EU. Malta recorded the highest adult obesity rate at 26.6%, followed by Latvia at 24.6%, and Finland with 23.2%. Italy had the lowest rate at 7.0%. Greece reported 12.8%, and Romania stood at 12.9%. The range between Malta and Italy shows nearly a 20 percentage point gap, marking the highest and lowest rates among the nations surveyed.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Statistics
BMI measures a person’s weight in kilograms relative to their height squared in metres. A BMI of 30 or higher classifies an individual as obese, while a BMI from 25 to below 30 indicates pre-obesity. The broader overweight category includes both groups. Underweight status is identified with a BMI below 18.5. These standardized thresholds enable consistent comparison of adult weight levels across EU member states.
The 2025 data also show that pre-obesity remains more common than obesity, with over one-third of adults falling into the pre-obese range. Approximately one in six adults meets the criteria for obesity. Together, overweight categories account for more than half of the adult population. The gender analysis reveals higher pre-obesity levels in men, although the difference in obesity rates between genders is relatively smaller.
European Union Uses Obesity Metrics to Support Health Objectives
The obesity metric contributes to tracking the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 on hunger, food security, and nutrition. It also aligns with SDG 3, which emphasizes health and well-being. Utilizing common BMI classifications allows EU countries to monitor adult weight trends over time and ensures consistent statistical reporting across nations.
The 2025 findings confirm that excess weight remains one of the most prevalent health issues among EU adults. Obesity alone affected 16.3%, with pre-obesity affecting another 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland had the highest obesity rates, whereas Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest. These figures demonstrate considerable variation among member states, yet they all affirm that overweight categories encompass the majority of the adult population in the EU.