LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, Eurostat reports that European Union adults experienced a 16.3% obesity prevalence. An additional 35.4% of adults were classified as pre-obese, together accounting for 51.7% of the population aged 18 and older. These figures indicate that more than half of the EU’s adult residents are affected by excess weight. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as a standardized metric to compare weight categories across member countries.
Data reveal that men tend to have higher rates of both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. Obesity was identified in 17.4% of men and 15.3% of women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of males and 29.3% of females. When combined, these categories indicate that 59.3% of men are overweight, whereas the equivalent figure for women stands at 44.6%. Underweight is more prevalent among women, at 2.9%, in contrast to 1.0% among men.
Results from individual countries display notable variation within the EU. Malta exhibits the highest adult obesity rate at 26.6%. Latvia follows with 24.6%, and Finland’s rate is 23.2%. Italy has the lowest prevalence at 7.0%. Greece reports 12.8%, while Romania’s figure is 12.9%. These national data points highlight nearly a 20 percentage point difference between Malta and Italy, representing the highest and lowest rates in the dataset.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Figures
BMI, or body mass index, compares an individual’s weight in kilograms to the square of their height in meters. A BMI of 30 or higher categorizes an individual as obese, while a BMI between 25 and less than 30 indicates pre-obesity. The broader overweight classification combines both categories. A BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight. These thresholds establish a common statistical framework for assessing adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 data also show that pre-obesity remains more widespread than obesity among adults, with over one in three falling into the pre-obese category. Approximately one in six adults meet the criteria for obesity. The total of both categories results in more than 50% of the EU adult population being overweight. Gender distinctions reveal significantly higher pre-obesity levels among men, although the disparity in obesity rates between genders is less pronounced.
Tracking Obesity as a Key EU Health Indicator
This obesity measure also aids in monitoring progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to SDG 2, which addresses hunger, food security, and better nutrition. Additionally, it aligns with SDG 3, focusing on health and well-being. Standardized BMI categories allow countries to analyze weight trends over time and maintain consistent statistical comparisons across the European Union’s member states.
The 2025 findings underscore that excess weight remains among the most common weight-related issues among EU adults. Obesity alone affected 16.3%, with pre-obesity affecting an additional 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest obesity rates within the bloc, whereas Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest figures. Although national variations are substantial, the data confirms that overweight conditions collectively encompass a majority of the adult population across the EU.