Eurostat’s latest data for North Macedonia, referring to 2022, show that 15.4% of the country’s citizens were obese.

In the European Union, in 2025, 16.3% of people over the age of 18 had a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, the criterion used to define obesity.

Meanwhile, 35.4% of adults in the EU had a BMI between 25 and 30. This means that, in total, more than half of the European Union’s population was overweight, according to Eurostat.

Differences were also observed between the sexes. Obesity stood at 17.4% among men, compared with 15.3% among women. For overweight, the figure was 41.9% among men and 29.3% among women.

Malta topped the list for the highest number of obese people, with more than a quarter of its population overweight. It was followed by Lithuania at 24.6% and Finland at 23.2%.

At the other end of the scale, the lowest obesity rates were recorded in Italy, at 7.0%, Greece, at 12.8%, and Romania, at 12.9%.

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Albania ranks among European countries with the lowest percentage of obesity, at a time when overweight is becoming an increasingly major health problem on the continent.

Eurostat data show that 12.6% of Albanians over 18 are classified as obese. For Albania, the figure refers to 2022, the latest period for which data are available.

The Albanian rate is lower than the European Union average, which stands at 16.3%, as well as the level of most countries in the region.

In the Western Balkans, Albania ranks behind Montenegro, where obesity affects 7.8% of the population. In Bosnia and Herzegovina this rate is 15.7%, in North Macedonia 15.4%, while in Serbia 13.6%.

Greece, with 12.8%, and Romania, with 12.9%, also have figures slightly higher than Albania.

The highest rate in the European ranking was recorded in Malta, where 26.6% of adults are considered obese. Next come Latvia with 24.6%, Iceland with 24.2%, Finland with 23.2% and Ireland with 22.1%.

At the other end of the ranking are Italy, with 7%, and Montenegro, with 7.8%, which have the lowest obesity percentages in Europe.

However, the overall European picture shows a gradual worsening. According to Eurostat, in 2025 about 16.3% of adults in the European Union were obese, up from 15.2% in 2014.

When overweight individuals are also included in the statistics, i.e. those who weigh above normal but are not yet classified as obese, it turns out that more than half of adults in the EU face weight-related problems.

Experts explain this trend by a more sedentary lifestyle, reduced physical activity and changes in diet.

Obesity measurement is based on the Body Mass Index, known as BMI. This indicator is obtained by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of the person’s height in meters.

According to the standard used by Eurostat, an individual is classified as obese when the BMI is at least 30. People with a score from 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Meanwhile, the “overweight” category in Eurostat statistics may include both overweight and obese individuals.

The statistics include individuals over 18 and are compiled on the basis of the European Health Interview Survey, EHIS, as well as data on income and living conditions, EU-SILC.

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