LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, Eurostat reports that 16.3% of adults in the European Union are classified as obese. Additionally, 35.4% of adults are categorized as pre-obese. These two groups combined account for 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and above. The data indicate that more than half of the adult population in the EU experiences excess weight. Eurostat assesses body mass index, or BMI, as the standard metric to evaluate weight classifications across member countries.
Men show higher prevalence rates for both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. The obesity rate among men reached 17.4%, whereas for women, it was 15.3%. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combined, these categories result in an overweight rate of 59.3% for men, while for women the figure stands at 44.6%. Underweight conditions were more prevalent among women at 2.9%, compared to 1.0% among men.
Across EU member states, the results vary significantly. Malta exhibits the highest obesity rate at 26.6% of adults. Latvia follows with 24.6%, and Finland reports 23.2%. Italy has the lowest obesity rate at 7.0%. Greece’s rate is 12.8%, with Romania close behind at 12.9%. The disparity between Malta and Italy is nearly 20 percentage points, marking the widest gap in the dataset.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Figures
BMI measures an individual’s weight in kilograms relative to their height in metres squared. A BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity, while a score from 25 to below 30 designates pre-obesity. Overweight status combines both categories. A BMI under 18.5 is classified as underweight. These thresholds serve as a uniform statistical foundation for comparing adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 data also highlight that pre-obesity remains more widespread than obesity among adults. Over one-third of adults fall into the pre-obese category, and approximately one in six reach the obesity threshold. Together, these figures push the EU’s overweight rate beyond 50%. Gender differences are notable, with men showing substantially higher pre-obesity levels, although the gap in obesity rates between men and women is narrower.
EU Monitors Obesity as Part of Public Health Objectives
The obesity indicator contributes to European oversight of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It aids in tracking SDG 2, which pertains to hunger, food security, and improved nutrition. Furthermore, it aligns with SDG 3, focusing on health and well-being. Utilizing common BMI categories enables countries to compare adult weight trends over time and ensures a consistent statistical approach across the European Union’s population.
The 2025 statistics reveal that excess weight remains among the most prevalent weight conditions across EU adults. Obesity alone affects 16.3%, with pre-obesity accounting for an additional 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest obesity rates in the bloc, whereas Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest. Despite some variations among nations, the data confirm that the combined overweight categories encompass a majority of the adult population across the EU.