WHO Data Shows 56 % of Kazakh Adults Are Overweight

More than half of adults in Kazakhstan were overweight or obese in 2024. According to WHO data, Kazakhstan ranked 96th out of 199 countries and was above the global average, Orda.kz reports, citing Finprom analytics.

The researchers counted adults with a body mass index above 25. Globally, the average share is 45 %. In Kazakhstan, it is 56 %.

Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan had the lowest rate, on par with Kyrgyzstan. In Uzbekistan, 64 % of adults were overweight or obese, while in Turkmenistan and Tajikistan the figure was 58 %.

For comparison, 71 % of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, compared with 70 % in the UAE and 62 % in the United Kingdom. Japan has one of the lowest rates among major economies, at 24 %. Analysts link this partly to local food culture, including the principle of hara hachi bu, which means stopping eating when a person feels about 80 % full.

Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry records only new obesity cases involving a BMI above 30. In the first quarter of 2026, the primary incidence rate fell by 26.7 %, to 32.6 cases per 100,000 people. Analysts warn, however, that lower official figures may not reflect real improvement and could instead mean that fewer people are seeking medical help.

The highest rate was recorded in Mangistau Region, at 92.1 cases per 100,000 people. The lowest rates were recorded in Turkestan Region at 9.7, Akmola Region at 12.7 and Abay Region at 17.5,the analysts said.

Obesity remains one of the key risk factors for diabetes. In 2025, the primary incidence rate for diabetes rose by another 1 %, reaching 331.6 cases per 100,000 people. The increase was especially noticeable among children under 14, where the rate rose by 10.6 %.

Original author: Daria Malkova

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