Australia obesity rate hits 32.8% in 2022-24, govt report reveals
Synopsis
Australia's obesity rate has hit 32.8% among adults — nearly one in three — and has now overtaken tobacco as the country's leading cause of ill health and death. With two in three adults overweight or obese and children's rates rising sharply, the AIHW data frames this as a generational public health emergency, not a lifestyle footnote.
Key Takeaways
32.8 per cent of Australian adults were obese in 2022-24 , up from 31.3 per cent in 2017-18, according to the AIHW .
67.1 per cent of Australian adults were overweight or obese in 2022-24 — more than two in three.
Severe obesity affected 13.0 per cent of adults, rising from 11.7 per cent in 2017-18; women recorded higher severe obesity rates than men.
Among children aged 5-17 , 28.1 per cent were overweight or obese in 2022-24, up from 24.9 per cent in 2017-18.
Obesity has overtaken tobacco use as Australia's leading risk factor for ill health and death, per AIHW spokesperson Amy Young .
Direct obesity treatment cost AUD 800 million in 2023-24; obesity-linked health conditions cost a further AUD 10 billion .
The proportion of Australian adults classified as obese climbed to 32.8 per cent in 2022-24, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) — meaning nearly one in three adults in the country now lives with obesity. The figure marks a steady rise from 31.3 per cent in 2017-18 and 27.9 per cent in 2014-15, underscoring a decade-long upward trend.
Scale of the Crisis
When overweight adults are included, the picture is starker: 67.1 per cent of Australian adults — more than two in three — were either overweight or obese in 2022-24. Severe obesity, defined as a more extreme accumulation of body fat, affected 13.0 per cent of the adult population, up from 11.7 per cent in 2017-18.
Gender differences were also notable. Men were more likely than women to be classified as overweight or obese overall, but women recorded higher rates of severe obesity, according to the AIHW data.
What the Government Said
AIHW spokesperson Amy Young described the findings as a significant public health concern. 'Overweight and obesity is a significant health challenge facing Australia, with rates increasing over time and affecting people across all age groups,' Young said in a media release. She added that obesity has now surpassed tobacco use as the leading risk factor contributing to ill health and death in the country — a milestone that marks a fundamental shift in Australia's disease burden.
Children Also Affected
The crisis is not confined to adults. Among children aged 5 to 17, 28.1 per cent were overweight or obese in 2022-24, up sharply from 24.9 per cent in 2017-18. The near-four-percentage-point rise in just six years signals that obesity is embedding itself earlier in life, with long-term implications for chronic disease rates.
The Economic Burden
The financial cost of the epidemic is substantial. The AIHW reported that 800 million Australian dollars (approximately USD 553.4 million) was spent nationwide on directly treating obesity in 2023-24. A further 10 billion AUD (approximately USD 6.9 billion) was spent managing health conditions attributable to being overweight or obese — covering conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as a complex, chronic disease driven by an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended, further shaped by genetic, behavioural, and environmental factors. This complexity, experts note, makes simple policy responses inadequate.
What Comes Next
Australia's trajectory mirrors trends seen in comparable high-income nations, where lifestyle factors, ultra-processed food consumption, and sedentary work patterns have driven sustained increases in body mass. With obesity now the country's top preventable health risk, pressure is mounting on policymakers to move beyond awareness campaigns toward structural interventions — including food labelling reform, urban planning changes, and expanded access to clinical weight-management programmes.
Point of View
But the more consequential detail is the milestone buried in the AIHW release: obesity has now displaced tobacco as Australia's leading cause of preventable death. That is a structural shift in the country's disease burden, not a statistical blip. What the report does not address is why a decade of public health messaging has failed to bend the curve — rates have risen at every measured interval since 2014-15. The children's data is the most urgent signal: a near-four-point rise in six years means the next generation of chronic disease patients is already being counted. Without policy interventions that go beyond awareness — think food environment reform and clinical access — Australia is essentially budgeting for a larger health bill every three years.
NationPress
24 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the AIHW obesity report for 2022-24 show?
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report shows that 32.8 per cent of Australian adults were obese in 2022-24, up from 31.3 per cent in 2017-18 and 27.9 per cent in 2014-15. More than two in three adults — 67.1 per cent — were either overweight or obese.
Has obesity overtaken smoking as Australia's top health risk?
Yes. According to AIHW spokesperson Amy Young, overweight and obesity has become the leading risk factor contributing to ill health and death in Australia, overtaking tobacco use in recent years. This marks a significant shift in the country's public health priorities.
How much is Australia spending on obesity-related healthcare?
Australia spent AUD 800 million (approximately USD 553.4 million) on directly treating obesity in 2023-24. A further AUD 10 billion (approximately USD 6.9 billion) was spent on health conditions attributed to being overweight or obese, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Are Australian children also affected by rising obesity rates?
Yes. Among children aged 5 to 17, 28.1 per cent were overweight or obese in 2022-24, up from 24.9 per cent in 2017-18 — a rise of more than three percentage points in six years.
What is the WHO definition of obesity referenced in the report?
The World Health Organization defines obesity as a complex, chronic disease characterised by an excessive accumulation of body fat that increases the risk of severe health conditions. It results from an imbalance of calories consumed versus calories expended, influenced by genetic, behavioural, and environmental factors.
