Trends: Socio Economic Group

Obesity trends across socioeconomic groups

Last updated 25-06-2024

Australian children of lower socioeconomic position were more likely to be living with overweight or obesity than those of higher socioeconomic position. For Australian adults, the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was similar across socioeconomic groups, but the prevalence of obesity was lowest among those in the highest socio-economic group.

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 obesity was highest among adults in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic group (35.3%), and lowest in the least disadvantaged group (25.5%) in 2022–23

There was little difference in the proportion of adults meeting vegetable guidelines by socio-economic group in 2022–23

In 2022–23, seven in 10 adults in the highest socioeconomic group (70.6%) did not participate in sufficient physical activity according to Australian guidelines, compared to 78.7% in the lowest socio-economic group

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 children

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia. 2017. Supplementary Table 3.

Boys Girls All children

Overweight and obesity among adults

In 2022–23, 35.3% of adults with the lowest socioeconomic position were living with obesity, compared with 25.5% of those with the highest socioeconomic position.³

Overweight and obesity among adults

Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2022. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022

Note: In 2022, 41.8% of respondents aged 15 years and over did not have their height, weight or both measured. For these respondents, imputation was used to obtain height, weight and BMI scores.

Overweight Obesity Combined overweight and obesity

Diet

More than nine in 10 Australian adults consumed insufficient vegetables in 2022–23, and this was similar across all socio-economic groups. The proportion of adults with the lowest socio-economic position who did not consume sufficient fruit was 60.7%, compared to 51.9% in the highest socio-economic group.³

Diet

Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2022. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022

Note: The NHMRC 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum number of serves of fruit and vegetables each day, depending on a person's age and sex, to ensure good nutrition and health.

Inadequate fruit consumption Inadequate vegetable consumption

Physical activity

In 2022–23, 70.6% of adults with the highest socio-economic position in Australia did not meet the guidelines for sufficient physical activity, and 7.8% did not do any physical activity. Among those with the lowest socio-economic position, 78.7% did not meet guidelines, and 17.2% did no physical activity.³

Physical activity

Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2022. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022

Note: Physical activity refers to a combination of exercise and workplace activity. Exercise includes walking for transport, walking for fitness, sport or recreation, moderate exercise and/or vigorous exercise undertaken in the last week. Workplace activity is physical activity undertaken in the workplace which includes moderate and/or vigorous activity undertaken on a typical work day. 2014 Physical activity guidelines are based on Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines and assessed against the respective age group.

Did not meet 2014 physical activity guidelines Zero minutes of physical activity

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.

References

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia. 2017. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/

2. Hardy LL, Mihrshahi S, Gale J, Drayton BA, Bauman A, et al. 30-year trends in overweight, obesity and waist-to-height ratio by socioeconomic status in Australian children, 1985 to 2015. International Journal of Obesity (2005), 2017; 41(1):76-82.

3. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2022. 2023 [Accessed March 2024]; Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/national-health-survey/2022.