LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – As part of ongoing health monitoring across the continent, body weight trends are closely tracked within the European Union. Recent Eurostat figures reveal that in 2025, 16.3% of adults were classified as obese, with an additional 35.4% falling into the pre-obese category. Altogether, these groups encompass over half of the population aged 18 and older, signifying that excess weight affects more than 50% of EU adults. Eurostat employs body mass index, or BMI, as a standardized metric to compare weight categories across member states.
Data show that men tend to have higher prevalence rates for both obesity and pre-obesity compared to women. The obesity rate among men reached 17.4%, whereas it was 15.3% for women. Pre-obesity affected 41.9% of men and 29.3% of women. When combining these two groups, the percentage of overweight men stands at 59.3%, while the figure for women is 44.6%. Underweight status was more prevalent among women, with 2.9%, versus only 1.0% of men.
Across the member states, the statistics reveal a broad spectrum of obesity rates. Malta exhibited the highest figure at 26.6% of adults, followed by Latvia with 24.6% and Finland at 23.2%. Italy recorded the lowest rate at 7.0%. Greece’s rate was 12.8%, and Romania’s stood at 12.9%. These numbers highlight a nearly 20 percentage point difference between Malta, the highest, and Italy, the lowest, marking the widest gap within the dataset.
Malta Tops EU Obesity Figures
BMI, which compares an individual’s weight in kilograms with the square of their height in metres, is the key measure used. A BMI of 30 or higher is classified as obese, while a BMI ranging from 25 to just under 30 indicates pre-obesity. The combined overweight percentage includes both of these categories. Conversely, a BMI below 18.5 signals an underweight condition. These standardized thresholds help create a common statistical basis for comparing weight levels across EU nations.
The 2025 figures also show that pre-obesity remains more prevalent than obesity overall. Over one-third of adults fall into the pre-obese category, with approximately one in six meeting the criteria for obesity. When combined, these groups push the EU’s overweight population share above half. The gender disparity is notable, as men display significantly higher pre-obesity levels, though the difference in obesity rates between genders is less pronounced.
Obesity as a Key Indicator for EU Health Targets
This measure also supports the European Union’s efforts to monitor progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes specifically to tracking SDG 2, which pertains to hunger, food security, and improved nutrition, as well as SDG 3, which focuses on health and well-being. Applying a uniform BMI classification allows countries to compare adult weight trends over time and ensures consistent statistical analysis across the EU’s diverse populations.
In 2025, excess weight remains among the most widespread health concerns among EU adults, with 16.3% classified as obese and 35.4% as pre-obese. Malta, Latvia, and Finland recorded the highest obesity rates within the bloc, while Italy, Greece, and Romania reported the lowest figures. These statistics underline significant national variation, yet they collectively demonstrate that overweight categories encompass a majority of the adult population in the European Union.