LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to Eurostat data, 16.3% of European Union adults were affected by obesity in 2025. An additional 35.4% of adults were classified as pre-obese. Combined, these groups accounted for 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older. These statistics indicate that more than half of the EU’s adult population struggles with excess weight. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as a standard measure to compare weight classifications across the member countries.
The data reveal that men experienced higher rates of both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. The obesity rate among men stood at 17.4%, whereas it was 15.3% for women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combined, these categories result in an overweight prevalence of 59.3% in men, while the figure for women is 44.6%. Underweight was more prevalent among women at 2.9%, in contrast to 1.0% among men.
Across EU nations, the results vary widely. Malta recorded the highest adult obesity rate at 26.6%. Latvia followed with 24.6%, with Finland at 23.2%. Italy had the lowest rate at 7.0%. Greece’s rate was 12.8%, and Romania’s stood at 12.9%. The difference between Malta and Italy approaches 20 percentage points, representing the largest gap within the dataset.
Malta Leads the EU in Obesity Prevalence
BMI measures an individual’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. A BMI of 30 or higher classifies a person as obese, while a BMI from 25 up to below 30 indicates pre-obesity. The broader overweight category includes both of these. BMI below 18.5 signals underweight status. These thresholds create a standardized basis for comparing adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 figures also show that pre-obesity remains more common than obesity among adults. Over one-third of adults fall into the pre-obese group, with roughly one in six reaching the obesity threshold. The combined percentage of overweight individuals exceeds 50%. Men display significantly higher pre-obesity rates, although the gap in obesity prevalence between genders is less pronounced.
European Union Monitors Obesity as Part of Health Objectives
This obesity indicator supports the European tracking of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It aids in monitoring SDG 2, which addresses hunger, food security, and improved nutrition, as well as SDG 3, focused on health and well-being. Employing uniform BMI categories allows nations to compare adult weight patterns over time and ensures a consistent statistical framework across EU countries.
The 2025 data reveals that excess weight ranks among the most widespread health issues in the EU. Obesity alone impacted 16.3% of adults, with pre-obesity affecting another 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland have the highest obesity rates within the bloc, while Italy, Greece, and Romania report the lowest. These figures demonstrate significant variation among countries, yet overall, overweight categories collectively encompass the majority of the adult population across the EU.