Obesity trends across socioeconomic groups
Australian women and children of lower socioeconomic position were more likely to be living with overweight or obesity than those of higher socioeconomic position. For Australian men, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was similar across socioeconomic groups.
Key Evidence
Around one-third of children aged 2 to 17 years in the lowest socioeconomic group were living with overweight or obesity (35.2%), compared to less than one-quarter in the highest socio-economic group (22.5%) in 2014–15
The prevalence of overweight and obesity were highest among adults in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic group (71.8%), and lowest in the least disadvantaged group (62.6%) in 2017–18
There was little difference in the proportion of adults meeting fruit and vegetable guidelines by socio-economic group in 2020–21
Fewer adults in the least disadvantaged group (5.3%) consumed sugar sweetened drinks daily, compared to the most disadvantaged group (8.9%) in 2020–21
Two-thirds of adults in the highest socioeconomic group did not participate in sufficient physical activity according to Australian guidelines (65.6%) in 2020–21, as did three-quarters of adults in the lowest socio-economic group (76%)
Overweight and obesity among children
Australian children and adolescents with a lower socioeconomic position were more likely to be living with overweight or obesity compared to those with a higher socioeconomic position.
In 2014–15, one-third (32.7%) of boys with the lowest socioeconomic position were living with overweight or obesity, compared with more than one in five (21.6%) of those with the highest socioeconomic position. Similarly, almost four in ten (37.8%) girls with the lowest socioeconomic position were living with overweight or obesity, compared with just one in four (23.5%) of those with the highest socioeconomic position.1 There are increasing socio-economic inequities in rates of obesity and abdominal obesity among Australian children, in a trend that can also be seen across the US and Europe.2
Overweight and obesity among adults
In 2017–18, more than seven in ten (71.8%) adults with the lowest socioeconomic position were living with overweight or obesity, compared with 62.6% of those with the highest socioeconomic position.3
Diet
Approximately nine in ten Australian adults consumed insufficient vegetables and around 55% consumed insufficient fruit in 2020–21, and this was similar across all socio-economic groups. Daily consumption of sugar sweetened drinks varied across socio-economic groups, ranging from 5.3% for those with the highest socio-economic position compared to 8.9% for those with the lowest socio-economic position.4
Physical activity
In 2020–21, 65.6% of adults with the highest socio-economic position in Australia did not meet the guidelines for sufficient physical activity, and 8% did not do any physical activity. Among those with the lowest socio-economic position, 76% did not meet guidelines, and 21.3% did no physical activity.5
Content for this page was written by Melanie Nichols, Deakin University and reviewed by Kathryn Backholer and Gary Sacks, Co-Directors at the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition at Deakin University. For more information about the approach to content on the site please see About | Obesity Evidence Hub.