Tengrinews.kz — More than half of adult residents in Kazakhstan are overweight or obese. This data was published on the international portal Our World in Data, based on modeled estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2024, citing the Finprom.kz.
Every second adult Kazakhstani has an elevated BMI
According to data from the international portal Our World in Data, Kazakhstan ranked 96th out of 199 countries in terms of the share of adults with an elevated body mass index (BMI).
The figure reached 56 percent, meaning more than half of the country's residents over the age of 18 are either overweight or obese.
The study reportedly utilized modeled WHO estimates for 2024. The category of people with an elevated BMI included adults with a body mass index above 25.
Meanwhile, the global average for overweight or obesity among adults stands at 45 percent.
How Kazakhstan compares to its neighbors
Despite the high proportion of people with elevated BMI, Kazakhstan holds the most favorable position among Central Asian countries. An identical rate of 56 percent was recorded only in Kyrgyzstan.
Published data shows that the situation has deteriorated in all Central Asian countries since 1980. Over 44 years, the share of adults with a BMI above 25 has increased by 19–36 percentage points.
The study's authors note that the growth was gradual, without significant dips, with the most rapid pace occurring between 2010 and 2020.
At the same time, Kazakhstan proved to be the country with the slowest growth rate in the region.
In 1980, Kazakhstan led the region in the share of overweight and obese adults, which stood at 37 percent at the time. In subsequent decades, the figure increased by approximately 3–6 percentage points per decade. Although the growth rates were lower than those of its neighbors, the number of adults with an elevated BMI continued to rise steadily.
What Ministry of Health data reveals
According to the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, the incidence of new obesity cases in 2025 was 39.6 cases per 100,000 people. This is a 12.6 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
Rates varied by age group:
- among adults, the incidence was 37.5 cases per 100,000 people;
- among children under 14, it was 36.9;
- among adolescents, the figure was significantly higher at 82.1 cases per 100,000.
We previously reported that in 2025, there were 492,000 children aged 5–9 in Kazakhstan who were overweight or obese, while the number for children aged 10–19 reached 715,000.
During the first quarter of 2026, the rate dropped to 32.6 cases per 100,000 people, which is 26.7 percent lower than in the same period last year.
The highest level of new obesity cases was recorded in the Mangystau region, at 92.1 cases per 100,000 people. The lowest rates were recorded in the Turkestan (9.7), Akmola (12.7), and Abai (17.5) regions.
Diabetes prevalence grows alongside obesity
The publication notes that obesity remains a primary risk factor for the development of many diseases, including diabetes mellitus.
According to Ministry of Health data, the incidence of new diabetes cases rose by 1 percent in 2025, reaching 331.6 cases per 100,000 people.
The disease was most frequently diagnosed for the first time in adults, at 488.5 cases per 100,000 people. However, the most significant year-on-year increase occurred among children under 14: the rate rose by 10.6 percent, from 20.7 to 22.9 cases per 100,000 people.
In the first quarter of 2026, the overall incidence of new diabetes cases decreased slightly by 1.5 percent, to 308.7 cases per 100,000 people.
The highest rates were recorded in the East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, and North Kazakhstan regions, while the lowest were found in the Atyrau region.