Chapter 2 Target 2.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals: malnutrition
2.3 Overweight among children under 5 years of age
The prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age in the region reached a peak in 2006 (10.8 percent) (Figure 13), then, decreased until 2023 (6.8 percent). Among the income groups, this pattern was roughly similar in low-income, lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries. However, the trend shows a much different path in high-income countries, where the prevalence of overweight children under 5 years of age had been increasing until 2019 (9.6 percent), followed by a decrease to 8.5 percent. The prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age in the region was 25.5 percent higher (6.9 percent) than the world estimate (5.5 percent) in 2024.
FIGURE 13.
Prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age in the Arab States by country income group
Note: The country income groups refer to countries of the Arab States (see Annex IV). Source: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2025. Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Key findings of the 2025 edition. New York, USA, Geneva, Switzerland and Washington, DC. [Cited 4 April 2025]. https://data.unicef.org/resources/JME Download:https://doi.org/10.4060/cd7552en-fig13
Overweight and obesity are complex and multifaceted problems. While genetics can increase an individual’s susceptibility to overweight, it cannot explain population-level increases over time. Intrauterine growth, infant feeding, and eating habits during preschool are significant determinants of overweight and obesity during adulthood (WHO, 2014a; FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2019). This form of malnutrition results from energy intakes from food and beverages that exceed children’s energy requirements. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay overweight or obese into adulthood and are more likely to develop non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.
Progress in tackling childhood obesity has been slow in the region. Except for low-income countries, the Arab States are far from reaching the WHA 2030 target: Reduce and maintain overweight in children under five years of age to less than 5 percent (WHO, 2025) (Table 9).
TABLE 9.
Prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age (percent)
2000
2010
2012
2015
2020
2022
2024
World
5.3
5.4
5.3
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.5
Arab States
9.2
10.3
9.8
8.7
7.2
6.9
6.9
Low-income countries
6.7
5.8
5.2
3.9
2.8
2.9
3.3
Lower-middle-income countries
11.5
12.9
12.3
11.3
9.7
9.5
9.6
Upper-middle-income countries
10.6
13.6
12.6
10.8
8.7
8.3
8.3
High-income countries
4.2
7.8
8.5
9.3
9.5
9.1
8.5
Note: The country income groups refer to countries of the Arab States (see Annex IV). Source: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2025. Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Key findings of the 2025 edition. New York, USA, Geneva, Switzerland and Washington, DC. [Cited 4 April 2025]. https://data.unicef.org/resources/JME
In 2024, some middle-income countries in the region observed a high prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age, such as Tunisia (17.5 percent), Algeria (13.3 percent) and Egypt (11.2 percent) (Figure 14).
FIGURE 14.
Prevalence of overweight among children under 5 years of age in the Arab States by country income group and country
Note: The country income groups refer to countries of the Arab States (see Annex IV). Source: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2025. Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Key findings of the 2025 edition. New York, USA, Geneva, Switzerland and Washington, DC. [Cited 4 April 2025]. https://data.unicef.org/resources/JME Download:https://doi.org/10.4060/cd7552en-fig14
The higher overweight levels, especially in high-income and middle-income countries, suggest a rapid nutrition transition in the region (UNICEF, 2024), where the economic development results in a changing food environment characterized by greater availability and access to energy-dense, processed foods and drinks (Ghattas et al., 2020) aggressive marketing strategies that promote the consumption of these items (Nasreddine, Ayoub and Al Jawaldeh, 2018; Hwalla, Nasreddine and El Labban, 2017), and sedentary lifestyles.
Overweight and obesity, and their related diseases, are largely preventable. Prevention of childhood obesity, therefore, needs to be a high priority in the region. Recommendations to fight this rising epidemic include: enabling access to and consumption of healthy diets, including an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts; limiting energy intake from total fats and shifting fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats; limiting the intake of sugars; and being physically active – accumulating at least 60 minutes of regular, moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity each day (WHO and UNICEF, 2019).
