Countries by Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (modeled estimate, % of children under 5)
Australia ranks first among 163 countries with 26.4% of children under 5 classified as overweight by weight for height, more than 43 times the rate recorded in last-placed Myanmar at 0.6%. The gap between the top and bottom of this ranking spans 25.8 percentage points, reflecting wide variation in child nutrition conditions across regions and income levels. Papua New Guinea ranks second at 18.5%, followed by Turks and Caicos Islands at 18.3%.
Ranking 2024
Values shown in %.
Analysis
This metric measures the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations above the median for the international reference population of the corresponding age, as established by the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards. Values are expressed as a percentage of children under 5. The indicator captures excess weight relative to height, not absolute weight, and does not account for children who are overweight by other measures or older age groups. Data come from the World Bank World Development Indicators (indicator code SH.STA.OWGH.ME.ZS), covering 163 countries with 100% of data points classified as official quality. All 163 countries have data from within the last 7 years, and the dataset is fully consistent for the reference year 2024. Eight extreme outliers were identified at the 3-standard-deviation threshold. Average year-over-year change was 3.8%, well within the 50% volatility threshold, indicating stable estimates across the coverage period.
The top of the ranking is led by Australia at 26.4%, a value flagged as an extreme outlier given the dataset's 3-sigma threshold. Papua New Guinea follows at rank 2 with 18.5%, and Turks and Caicos Islands sits at rank 3 with 18.3%. Tunisia (rank 4, 17.5%) and Albania (rank 5, 16.7%) are the highest-ranked countries in North Africa and the Balkans respectively. Ukraine (rank 6, 16.0%), Paraguay (rank 7, 15.4%), and Trinidad and Tobago (rank 8, 15.0%) round out the upper tier. Argentina (rank 9, 14.3%) and Cameroon (rank 10, 13.6%) follow. These top-ranked countries span multiple geographic regions and income classifications, indicating that high prevalence is not confined to any single region.
In the middle of the ranking, China sits at rank 25 with 11.1%, while the United States ranks 39th at 9.7% and Canada ranks 22nd at 11.4%. Several European nations cluster in the lower-middle range, including the Netherlands at rank 85 with 5.4%, Germany at rank 133 with 3.3%, and Finland at rank 96 with 4.7%. A notable anomaly is Japan, ranked 153rd at just 2.0%, making it one of the lowest-ranked high-income countries in the dataset. At the lower end, South Asian countries are concentrated near the bottom: Bangladesh ranks 157th at 1.6%, Nepal ranks 154th at 1.8%, and Sri Lanka ranks 162nd at 0.9%. Sub-Saharan African nations are distributed across the full range, with South Africa at rank 17 (12.8%) and Nigeria near the bottom at rank 157 (1.6%).
As modeled estimates, these figures involve statistical projection and carry uncertainty, particularly for countries with limited survey coverage or infrequent household surveys. The metric uses weight-for-height as its basis, which can be affected by body proportions that vary across populations, potentially introducing measurement inconsistency. The WHO 2006 Child Growth Standards used as the reference population were developed from a specific study sample, which may not capture the full range of healthy growth variation across all ethnic groups. The prevalence estimates do not distinguish between mild and severe overweight, nor do they capture trends within the under-5 age band across different sub-groups such as infants versus toddlers. Cross-country comparisons should account for differences in survey methodology and the years underlying the modeled estimates.
Methodology
Data are drawn from the World Bank World Development Indicators, indicator code SH.STA.OWGH.ME.ZS, for the reference year 2024. The metric is defined as: prevalence of overweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations above the median for the international reference population of the corresponding age as established by the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards. The unit is percentage of children under 5. The dataset covers 163 countries, exceeding the 80-country coverage threshold. All 163 countries (100%) have data from within the last 7 years, and 100% of data points are classified as official quality, above the 70% threshold. Eight extreme outliers were identified using a 3-standard-deviation threshold. The value range spans 0.60% (Myanmar) to 26.40% (Australia), a spread of 4,300%. Average year-over-year change was 3.8%, well below the 50% volatility threshold. Values are modeled estimates and may incorporate statistical projection where direct survey data are sparse or dated.