In 2023, 16% of people in the Netherlands aged 20 and over were classified as obese (with a Body Mass Index (BMI(Body Mass Index)) of 30 or above) – more than three times as much as in 1981, the first year of record. This was one of the findings in the 2023 Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor prepared by CBS(Statistics Netherlands) in cooperation with RIVM. Since 1981, there has also been an increase in the rate of the more serious types of obesity (BMI of 35 or above): this percentage rose from 1% in 1981 to 4% in 2023.
The percentage of people aged 20 and over with moderate overweight (BMI(Body Mass Index) of between 25 and 30) has increased as well, rising from 28% in 1981 to 35% in 2023. Overall, more than half of all people in the Netherlands aged 20 and over were overweight in 2023 (BMI of 25 or above), compared to one-third at the onset of the 1980s. The obesity rates have risen more quickly than the percentage of people with moderate overweight.
Read the full CBS news item for more Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor findings.