Which EU Country Has the Highest Childhood Obesity Rate?

Key Takeaways

• Cyprus’s childhood obesity rate reached 19.7% in early 2022. Cyprus’s rate is roughly 3.6 times higher than Denmark’s rate.
• Denmark’s rate reached 5.5% between late 2022 and early 2023. Denmark’s rate is the lowest among EU countries with data available.
• The EU’s five highest childhood obesity rates all belong to Mediterranean countries: Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Italy, and Croatia.
• Mediterranean children don’t follow their region’s traditional diet anymore. Processed food, fast food, and sugary drinks have replaced olive oil, legumes, and whole grains. This dietary shift is linked to screen time and to the higher cost of fresh food.

Childhood Obesity Rates Across EU Countries

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Cyprus’s Childhood Obesity Rate Is Nearly Four Times Denmark’s

Childhood obesity rates vary enormously across the EU. They range from just over 1 in 20 children in one country to nearly 1 in 5 in another.

Obesity here means a child’s body mass index for their age (BMI-for-age) sits far above the healthy range, signaling excess body fat. This BMI-for-age threshold is stricter than simple overweight.

Cyprus records the highest childhood obesity rate among EU countries with data available. Cyprus’s rate reached 19.7% in 2022–2024.

By contrast, Denmark has the lowest childhood obesity rate among EU countries. Its rate reached 5.5% between late 2022 and early 2023.

Cyprus’s childhood obesity rate is roughly 3.6 times higher than Denmark’s childhood obesity rate.

Screen time explains part of the childhood obesity rate gap between Cyprus and Denmark. In Cyprus, girls who watch four or more hours of television a day are nearly three times as likely to be overweight or obese. Boys show a weaker version of this pattern.

Physical activity levels matter less than screen time for the higher obesity odds among Cypriot girls with heavy screen time. This screen-time link is a connection, not proof that screen time causes the higher odds

Cyprus and Denmark children also differ sharply in daily habits. Here’s a table comparing some of the two countries’ daily habits <ADD YEAR>

Denmark’s children have healthier daily habits than Cyprus’s children on every measure except soft-drink consumption, where Cyprus’s children drink less.

The EU’s Five Highest Childhood Obesity Rates Are All Mediterranean Countries

Greece, Malta, Italy, and Croatia join Cyprus among the EU’s five highest childhood obesity rates. All five EU countries have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.

• Greece: 18.1%
• Malta: 17.1%
• Italy: 16.8%
• Croatia: 15.4%

Spain also borders the Mediterranean Sea. Spain’s childhood obesity rate reached 14.7%. Spain’s lower rate shows that a Mediterranean coastline alone doesn’t guarantee a high childhood obesity rate.

Mediterranean children often don’t eat the traditional Mediterranean diet themselves. This diet began in their own region. Their intake of three traditional staples has fallen:

• Olive oil
• Legumes
• Whole grains

Meanwhile, intake of processed food, fast food, and sugary drinks has risen.

Screen time is linked to the shift away from the Mediterranean diet. Children with heavier screen time show weaker adherence to it.

Food cost plays a role too. Following the Mediterranean diet costs about 21% more per day than eating a less traditional diet. This cost difference falls hardest on lower-income families.

Discover How Much EU Households Spend on Food ->

The country-by-country gap in childhood obesity holds regardless of cause. A child’s chance of living with obesity still varies widely depending on which EU country they grow up in.