Obesity Rate in Oceania (2026)
Oceania has the highest obesity levels of any major region in the latest available data. Pacific island countries and territories such as American Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Nauru, and Tokelau dominate the top of the ranking, with several places recording obesity rates above 70%. Obesity Rate in Oceania compares adult obesity levels across Oceania and shows how strongly obesity is concentrated across the Pacific region.
See Also:
Obesity Rate in Oceania Rankings
| # | Country | Obesity Rate (Both Sexes) | Global Rank | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇸American Samoa |
75.81% | 1 | Oceania |
| 2 | 🇨🇰Cook Islands |
72.42% | 2 | Oceania |
| 3 | 🇹🇴Tonga |
72.26% | 3 | Oceania |
| 4 | 🇳🇷Nauru |
71.45% | 4 | Oceania |
| 5 | 🇹🇰Tokelau |
70.01% | 5 | Oceania |
| 6 | 🇳🇺Niue |
66.25% | 6 | Oceania |
| 7 | 🇹🇻Tuvalu |
64.67% | 7 | Oceania |
| 8 | 🇼🇸Samoa |
63.17% | 8 | Oceania |
| 9 | 🇵🇫French Polynesia |
49.5% | 9 | Oceania |
| 10 | 🇫🇲Micronesia |
46.82% | 12 | Oceania |
| 11 | 🇰🇮Kiribati |
45.3% | 13 | Oceania |
| 12 | 🇵🇼Palau |
42.08% | 17 | Oceania |
| 13 | 🇲🇭Marshall Islands |
41.15% | 21 | Oceania |
| 14 | 🇫🇯Fiji |
39.29% | 25 | Oceania |
| 15 | 🇳🇿New Zealand |
34.72% | 43 | Oceania |
| 16 | 🇦🇺Australia |
32.37% | 53 | Oceania |
| 17 | 🇵🇬Papua New Guinea |
27.6% | 83 | Oceania |
| 18 | 🇻🇺Vanuatu |
21.6% | 116 | Oceania |
| 19 | 🇸🇧Solomon Islands |
20.89% | 122 | Oceania |
Key Findings
American Samoa Has the Highest Obesity Rate in Oceania
- American Samoa ranks #1 in Oceania with an obesity rate of 75.81%, followed by the Cook Islands (72.42%), Tonga (72.26%), Nauru (71.45%), and Tokelau (70.01%).
- These are not only the highest rates in Oceania — they are also among the highest obesity rates anywhere in the world.
Pacific Island Nations Dominate the Top of the Ranking
- The top of the Oceania ranking is dominated by small Pacific island countries and territories, including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Nauru, Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, and Samoa.
- Several of these places record obesity rates above 60%, showing how concentrated the obesity burden is across the Pacific.
New Zealand and Australia Rank Much Lower Than the Pacific Islands
- New Zealand records an obesity rate of 34.72%, while Australia stands at 32.37%.
- Both countries still rank high by global standards, but they remain far below the extreme obesity rates seen in many Pacific island nations.
More Than Half of Oceania Is Above 40%
- A large share of Oceania’s countries and territories record obesity rates above 40%, including French Polynesia, Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.
- This makes Oceania the most obesity-heavy continent overall in the dataset.
Solomon Islands Has the Lowest Obesity Rate in Oceania
- Solomon Islands ranks last in Oceania with an obesity rate of 20.89%, the lowest in the region.
- It is followed by Vanuatu (21.60%), Papua New Guinea (27.60%), Australia (32.37%), and New Zealand (34.72%).
About Obesity Rate in Oceania
Obesity is especially severe across many Pacific island nations. Oceania includes some of the highest obesity rates in the world, with multiple countries and territories above 60% and even 70%. Obesity Rate in Oceania measures the percentage of adults classified as obese in each country or territory and ranks them from highest to lowest.
These differences reflect diet shifts, imported processed foods, reduced physical activity, urbanization, limited food diversity, and long-term public health changes across the Pacific. Looking at obesity rates across Oceania helps show just how concentrated the global obesity burden is in this region.
Definitions & Methodology
What does obesity rate in Oceania measure?
Obesity rate in Oceania shows the percentage of adults classified as obese in each Oceanian country or territory. The ranking is based on the Obesity Rate (Both Sexes) value in the dataset.
How are countries and territories in Oceania ranked?
Countries and territories are ranked from highest to lowest according to their overall adult obesity rate. A higher percentage means a larger share of the adult population is living with obesity.
What unit is used?
All values are shown as percentages (%). For example, an obesity rate of 75.81% means about 75.81% of the adult population in that country or territory is classified as obese.
Why are obesity rates so high in Oceania?
Obesity rates in Oceania are shaped by major diet changes, heavy reliance on imported processed foods, reduced physical activity, urbanization, limited food diversity, and long-term public health trends across Pacific island societies.
Obesity Rate in Oceania FAQs
Which country has the highest obesity rate in Oceania?
American Samoa has the highest obesity rate in Oceania in this dataset at 75.81%, followed by the Cook Islands, Tonga, Nauru, and Tokelau.
Which country has the lowest obesity rate in Oceania?
Solomon Islands has the lowest obesity rate in Oceania at 20.89%, followed by Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Why are obesity rates so high in Pacific island countries?
Obesity rates are especially high in many Pacific island countries because of diet changes, heavy reliance on imported processed foods, lower physical activity, urbanization, and long-term public health shifts across the region.
How do Australia and New Zealand compare with the rest of Oceania?
Australia and New Zealand still have relatively high obesity rates by global standards, but they rank much lower than many Pacific island countries, where obesity rates are dramatically higher.
How is obesity rate in Oceania measured?
Obesity rate in Oceania is measured as the percentage of adults in each country or territory who fall into the obesity category according to international public health definitions used in the dataset.