School surveys
What students around the world reported
The Global School-based Student Health Survey asks students — mostly aged 13 to 15 — about their health. We analysed the 24 survey samples from 6 countries where most students answered the height and weight questions.
These are self-reported heights and weights from surveys done in 2003–2005. They are a snapshot from that time, not today’s figures, and some samples cover one city or region rather than a whole country.
Overweight students (including obesity)
Share of students overweight or with obesity, by survey
What this meansHighest: Abu Dhabi, private schools, United Arab Emirates (43.2%, 2005). Lowest: Urban, Uganda (7.2%, 2003).
- Abu Dhabi, private schools (United Arab Emirates)43.2%
- Dubai, private schools (United Arab Emirates)40.7%
- Abu Dhabi, government schools (United Arab Emirates)39.4%
- Sharjah, private schools (United Arab Emirates)38.5%
- United Arab Emirates38.1%
- Dubai, government schools (United Arab Emirates)37.3%
- Northern Emirates, private schools (United Arab Emirates)36.8%
- Northern Emirates, government schools (United Arab Emirates)32.3%
- Sharjah, government schools (United Arab Emirates)31.9%
- Tarapacá Region (Region I) (Chile)30.4%
- Valparaíso Region (Region V) (Chile)27.4%
- Santiago Metropolitan Region (Chile)27.0%
- Biobío Region (Region VIII) (Chile)25.0%
- Jordan20.4%
- Wuhan (China)19.8%
- Beijing (China)19.3%
- Mindanao (Philippines)16.3%
- Philippines15.2%
- Urumqi (China)9.3%
- Rural (Uganda)8.9%
- Visayas (Philippines)8.5%
- Uganda8.0%
- Hangzhou (China)7.6%
- Urban (Uganda)7.2%
Orange bars = nationwide samples (United Arab Emirates 2005, Jordan 2004, Philippines 2003, Uganda 2003); blue bars = one city or region.
Show the numbers as a table
| Survey sample | Scope | Year | Overweight incl. obesity | Obesity | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi, private schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 43.2% | 17.8% | 1,995 |
| Dubai, private schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 40.7% | 14.9% | 1,857 |
| Abu Dhabi, government schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 39.4% | 17.4% | 1,915 |
| Sharjah, private schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 38.5% | 14.5% | 1,591 |
| United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates | national | 2005 | 38.1% | 16.0% | 14,442 |
| Dubai, government schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 37.3% | 17.1% | 1,947 |
| Northern Emirates, private schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 36.8% | 16.3% | 1,728 |
| Northern Emirates, government schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 32.3% | 14.7% | 1,699 |
| Sharjah, government schools, United Arab Emirates | subnational | 2005 | 31.9% | 13.6% | 1,710 |
| Tarapacá Region (Region I), Chile | subnational | 2004 | 30.4% | 6.3% | 1,355 |
| Valparaíso Region (Region V), Chile | subnational | 2004 | 27.4% | 3.4% | 1,318 |
| Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile | subnational | 2004 | 27.0% | 4.7% | 1,338 |
| Biobío Region (Region VIII), Chile | subnational | 2004 | 25.0% | 4.3% | 1,473 |
| Jordan, Jordan | national | 2004 | 20.4% | 4.5% | 1,865 |
| Wuhan, China | subnational | 2003 | 19.8% | 9.4% | 1,302 |
| Beijing, China | subnational | 2003 | 19.3% | 6.2% | 2,168 |
| Mindanao, Philippines | subnational | 2003 | 16.3% | 8.4% | 1,824 |
| Philippines, Philippines | national | 2003 | 15.2% | 8.7% | 4,881 |
| Urumqi, China | subnational | 2003 | 9.3% | 1.6% | 2,621 |
| Rural, Uganda | subnational | 2003 | 8.9% | 0.7% | 1,398 |
| Visayas, Philippines | subnational | 2003 | 8.5% | 1.5% | 1,807 |
| Uganda, Uganda | national | 2003 | 8.0% | 0.8% | 3,000 |
| Hangzhou, China | subnational | 2003 | 7.6% | 2.2% | 1,636 |
| Urban, Uganda | subnational | 2003 | 7.2% | 0.9% | 1,602 |
BMI-for-age > +1 SD, WHO 2007 reference (includes obesity). Survey-weighted. Hover a bar for the obesity figure and number of students.
Sources: Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), 2003–2005 public-use files; WHO 2007 growth reference, BMI-for-age 5–19 years.
Countries in this section
Samples we left out
17 further samples are not shown because fewer than 60% of students reported both height and weight — too few to trust the result — and 8 had no height and weight answers at all. See the methodology for details.
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