Australian Obesity Statistics – Updated: 2023

Obesity accounts for excessive body fat that presents high risks to a person’s health and well-being. Several surveys show that Australia has always been a victim of high obesity rates. In 1995, the reported obesity levels in Australia were around 29.5%. These increased to 32.6% in 2004-2005. The obesity prevalence rates in the same time gap were raised from 11.1% to 16.4%.

This article will take a detailed look at the Australian obesity statistics 2022.

Obesity in Australia 2022

According to the Obesity Evidence Hub, around 66.6% of Australians are overweight or obese. Gender-wise, men are more overweight than women, and the obesity percentage is the same in both genders. Around 42.2% of men in the senior citizen group (65 to 74 years old) are obese. Also, 72.2% of adults in remote Australia and outer regions suffer from obesity.

These statistics show that the obesity rate in Australia has constantly increased over the past few years. And it’s projected to increase even further. IBISWorld states that the obesity percentage Australia will hit 73.4% in a few years. The obesity-related industries have also been scaling up over the past few years.

Australian industry statistics show considerable growth in the gym and weight loss services numbers. Also, private hospitals providing obesity-related cures have increased in numbers. Here’s a graph showing the severe obesity on the rise.

Australian Obesity Facts

The rate of obesity in Australia has always been increasing in the bigger picture. And it’s affecting the lives of Australians and also the government. Obesity-related cures account for 8.6% of the nation’s health expenditure. It may seem low, but to get an estimate, obesity lowers the labour market outputs by 371,000 full-time workers per year.

Here are several Australian overweight and obesity statistics 2022:

• Around 36% of adults in Australia are overweight. It marks the number of overweight people in Australia as around 9,266,400. 
• Around 31% of adults in Australia are obese. Regarding numbers, 7,979,400 people in Australia are currently suffering from obesity.
• There has been a 10% rise in overweightness over the past 25 years.
• The obese rate in Australia is projected to increase by 2% in 2023.
• 9% of adults in Australia suffer from severe obesity disorders (life-threatening).
• More than 1 million people in Australia have type 2 diabetes due to obesity.
• Around 16,700 deaths in Australia happen because of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Around 4% of people worldwide suffering from obesity are Australians.
• Around 140 premature deaths are caused by obesity in Australia every day.
• Australian male populates have the second-highest obesity rates worldwide.
• Australia is ranked 5th among OECDs (Organisations for Economic Cooperation and Development) in obesity.
• Obesity affects every 1 in 4 children in Australia. Here’s a graph by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) showing the proportion of overweight and obese children over the past years.

Final Take

The Australian obesity rate has constantly been increasing over the past decades. However, it badly affects Australia’s health percentage and expenses ratio. This article’s statistical charts and figures have been taken from official Australian sources and organisations.