LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In 2025, Eurostat reports that 16.3% of European Union adults are classified as obese. An additional 35.4% fall into the pre-obese category. Collectively, these groups account for 51.7% of individuals aged 18 and older, indicating that over half of the EU adult population is affected by excess weight. Eurostat utilizes body mass index, or BMI, as a standard measure to compare weight classifications across participating nations.
Data shows men exhibit higher rates of both obesity and pre-obesity than women. The obesity rate among men reached 17.4%, whereas it was 15.3% for women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men compared to 29.3% of women. When these categories are combined, the overweight prevalence among men stands at 59.3%, while women’s figure is 44.6%. Underweight status was more prevalent among women at 2.9%, in contrast to 1.0% among men.
Results from individual countries reveal a significant variation within the EU. Malta recorded the highest adult obesity rate at 26.6%. Latvia followed with 24.6%, and Finland’s rate was 23.2%. Italy had the lowest figure at 7.0%. Greece reported 12.8%, with Romania close behind at 12.9%. The national data illustrates a nearly 20 percentage point difference between Malta and Italy, representing the highest and lowest rates observed in the dataset.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Rankings
BMI, or body mass index, is calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. A BMI of 30 or higher classifies an individual as obese. A BMI ranging from 25 to below 30 indicates a pre-obese status. The combined overweight category includes both pre-obese and obese classifications. Conversely, a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight. These thresholds serve as a standardized statistical framework to compare adult weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 findings reveal that pre-obesity remains more prevalent than obesity among adults. Over one-third of adults fall into the pre-obese group, while roughly one in six adults meet the criteria for obesity. The total percentage of overweight individuals exceeds 50% in the EU. Gender differences are notable, with men displaying significantly higher pre-obesity rates; however, the disparity in obesity prevalence between men and women remains smaller.
Obesity Monitoring Supports EU Health Objectives
This obesity metric also plays a role in tracking progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It aids in measuring SDG 2, which addresses issues like hunger, food security, and nutrition, as well as SDG 3, dedicated to health and well-being. Employing uniform BMI categories enables nations to compare adult weight trends over time and provides a consistent statistical benchmark across the European Union’s member states.
According to 2025 data, excess weight ranks among the most common weight classifications among EU adults. Obesity alone affected 16.3%, with pre-obesity accounting for an additional 35.4%. Malta, Latvia, and Finland experienced the highest obesity rates within the bloc, whereas Italy, Greece, and Romania had the lowest. The figures across member states reveal substantial variation, yet they affirm that overweight categories combined encompass a majority of the adult population in the EU.