LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to Eurostat figures, 16.3% of European Union adults were classified as obese in 2025. An additional 35.4% fell into the pre-obese category, together representing 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older. These statistics indicate that over half of the EU adult population is affected by excess weight. Eurostat utilizes body mass index, or BMI, as a standard metric to compare weight classifications across participating nations.
Obesity and pre-obesity rates were higher among men than women. The obesity rate for men was 17.4%, while women had a rate of 15.3%. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combined, these categories indicate that 59.3% of men are overweight, compared to 44.6% of women. Underweight prevalence was greater among women at 2.9%, versus 1.0% among men.
Across the EU, national results revealed significant variation. Malta recorded the highest obesity rate at 26.6% of adults. Latvia followed with 24.6%, with Finland at 23.2%. Italy’s rate was the lowest at 7.0%. Greece reported 12.8%, while Romania’s figure stood at 12.9%. The data shows nearly a 20 percentage point difference between Malta and Italy, the highest and lowest rates in the dataset.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Rankings
BMI assesses an individual’s weight in kilograms relative to the square of their height in metres. A BMI of 30 or more categorizes an individual as obese, while a BMI between 25 and below 30 indicates pre-obesity. The broader overweight classification includes both these groups. A BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight. These standardized thresholds enable consistent comparisons of adult weight levels across EU member states.
The 2025 data also reveal that pre-obesity remained more prevalent than obesity among adults. More than one in three adults fell into the pre-obese category, with about one in six reaching the obesity threshold. The combined overweight percentage exceeded 50% across the EU. Men exhibited notably higher pre-obesity levels, though the difference in obesity rates between genders was less pronounced.
Obesity Monitoring Aligns with EU Health Objectives
The obesity indicator contributes to European efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It plays a role in tracking SDG 2, which addresses hunger, food security, and improved nutrition. Additionally, it supports SDG 3, focused on health and well-being. The use of common BMI categories enables countries to compare adult weight trends over time and offers a reliable statistical metric for assessing population health across the EU.
The 2025 figures highlight excess weight as one of the most widespread weight issues among EU adults. While obesity affected 16.3%, pre-obesity impacted another 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest obesity rates within the bloc. Conversely, Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest rates. Despite some national variation, the data confirm that the majority of the adult population across the EU falls into overweight categories.