Department of Health & Social Care
Obesity in
This page presents information about trends in indicators related to obesity.
Table of contents
Obesity in year 6 children
Persons, 10-11 years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 17.5 | 17.4 | 17.6 |
| 2007/08 | 18.3 | 18.2 | 18.4 |
| 2008/09 | 18.3 | 18.2 | 18.4 |
| 2009/10 | 18.7 | 18.6 | 18.9 |
| 2010/11 | 19.0 | 18.9 | 19.1 |
| 2011/12 | 19.2 | 19.1 | 19.3 |
| 2012/13 | 18.9 | 18.8 | 19.0 |
| 2013/14 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 19.2 |
| 2014/15 | 19.1 | 19.0 | 19.2 |
| 2015/16 | 19.8 | 19.7 | 19.9 |
| 2016/17 | 20.0 | 19.9 | 20.1 |
| 2017/18 | 20.1 | 20.0 | 20.2 |
| 2018/19 | 20.2 | 20.1 | 20.3 |
| 2019/20 | 21.0 | 20.9 | 21.2 |
| 2020/21 | 25.5 | 25.3 | 25.8 |
| 2021/22 | 23.4 | 23.3 | 23.6 |
| 2022/23 | 22.7 | 22.5 | 22.8 |
| 2023/24 | 22.1 | 22.0 | 22.2 |
Download data on obesity in year 6 children in CSV format.
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You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View obesity in year 6 children data.
View the obesity in year 6 children definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, using National Child Measurement Programme, NHS England
The line chart shows the percentage of children aged 10-11 years classified as living with obesity. The proportion in England increased from 17.5% in the financial year ending 2007 to 22.1% in the financial year ending 2024.
Obesity in reception year children
Persons, 4-5 years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 10.0 |
| 2007/08 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 |
| 2008/09 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.7 |
| 2009/10 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.9 |
| 2010/11 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.5 |
| 2011/12 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.6 |
| 2012/13 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.3 |
| 2013/14 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.6 |
| 2014/15 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.2 |
| 2015/16 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.4 |
| 2016/17 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.7 |
| 2017/18 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 |
| 2018/19 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.8 |
| 2019/20 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 10.0 |
| 2020/21 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 14.6 |
| 2021/22 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 10.2 |
| 2022/23 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.2 |
| 2023/24 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.7 |
Download data on obesity in reception year children in CSV format.
See more information about using CSV file format.
You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View obesity in reception year children data.
View the obesity in reception year children definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, using National Child Measurement Programme, NHS England
The line chart shows the percentage of children aged 4-5 years classified as living with obesity. The proportion in England decreased from 9.9% in the financial year ending 2007 to 9.6% in the financial year ending 2024.
Obesity in adults
Persons, 18+ years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 22.6 | 22.4 | 22.8 |
| 2016/17 | 23.1 | 22.9 | 23.3 |
| 2017/18 | 23.1 | 22.9 | 23.3 |
| 2018/19 | 23.5 | 23.3 | 23.7 |
| 2019/20 | 24.4 | 24.1 | 24.6 |
| 2020/21 | 25.2 | 25.0 | 25.4 |
| 2021/22 | 25.9 | 25.7 | 26.2 |
| 2022/23 | 26.2 | 26.0 | 26.5 |
Download data on obesity in adults in CSV format.
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You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View obesity in adults data.
View the obesity in adults definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: OHID, based on Sport England data
The line chart shows the percentage of people aged 18 and over classified as living with obesity. The proportion in England increased from 22.6% in the financial year ending 2016 to 26.2% in the financial year ending 2023.
Physically active children and young people
Persons, 5-16 years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 43.3 | 42.6 | 43.9 |
| 2018/19 | 46.8 | 46.0 | 47.6 |
| 2019/20 | 44.9 | 44.0 | 45.8 |
| 2020/21 | 44.6 | 43.8 | 45.4 |
| 2021/22 | 47.2 | 46.6 | 47.9 |
| 2022/23 | 47.0 | 46.4 | 47.6 |
Download data on physically active children and young people in CSV format.
See more information about using CSV file format.
You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View physically active children and young people data.
View the physically active children and young people definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, Sport England
The line chart shows the percentage of children aged 5 to 16 that met the recommendations for physical activity. The proportion in England increased from 43.3% in the financial year ending 2018 to 47.0% in the financial year ending 2023.
Physically inactive adults
Persons, 19+ years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 22.3 | 22.1 | 22.5 |
| 2016/17 | 22.2 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| 2017/18 | 22.2 | 22.0 | 22.4 |
| 2018/19 | 21.4 | 21.2 | 21.6 |
| 2019/20 | 22.9 | 22.7 | 23.1 |
| 2020/21 | 23.4 | 23.2 | 23.6 |
| 2021/22 | 22.3 | 22.1 | 22.5 |
| 2022/23 | 22.6 | 22.4 | 22.8 |
Download data on physically inactive adults in CSV format.
See more information about using CSV file format.
You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View physically inactive adults data.
View the physically inactive adults definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: OHID, based on Sport England data
The line chart shows the percentage of people aged 19 and over who were not active at moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes per week. The proportion in England changed from 22.3% in the financial year ending 2016 to 22.6% in the financial year ending 2023.
Physically active adults
Persons, 19+ years
| Time period | England Value | 95% confidence interval lower limit | 95% confidence interval upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 66.1 | 65.9 | 66.3 |
| 2016/17 | 66.0 | 65.8 | 66.2 |
| 2017/18 | 66.3 | 66.0 | 66.5 |
| 2018/19 | 67.2 | 67.0 | 67.4 |
| 2019/20 | 66.4 | 66.2 | 66.6 |
| 2020/21 | 65.9 | 65.7 | 66.2 |
| 2021/22 | 67.3 | 67.1 | 67.5 |
| 2022/23 | 67.1 | 66.9 | 67.4 |
Download data on physically active adults in CSV format.
See more information about using CSV file format.
You can find more information about this indicator and related data on our Fingertips website. Fingertips is a data platform that contains a large range of indicators organised into topics, such as tobacco, mental health, and mortality.
View physically active adults data.
View the physically active adults definition.
Visit the obesity profile on Fingertips for more information on obesity.
Source: OHID, based on Sport England data
The line chart shows the percentage of people aged 19 and over who were active at moderate intensity for at least 150 minutes per week. The proportion in England increased from 66.1% in the financial year ending 2016 to 67.1% in the financial year ending 2023.