Study reveals slight drop in number of overweight children in Switzerland

The proportion of overweight adolescents in Switzerland has stagnated at secondary school level (20.9% in 2025 compared with 20.5% in 2010). Keystone-SDA

The number of overweight primary school children in Switzerland has fallen slightly over the past 15 years, according to figures released on Monday.

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Around 11.1% of primary school children were overweight in 2025, compared with 15.8% in 2010. In Swiss upper secondary school system, the proportion fell between 2010 (19.1%) and 2017 (16.5%), before rising to 18.6% in 2025. The proportion of overweight adolescents has stagnated at secondary level (20.9% in 2025 compared with 20.5% in 2010), according to Health Promotion Switzerland on Monday.

Differences between cantons

Compared with the first measurement in 2010, the overall prevalence of overweight children and adolescents has fallen by 1.3%.

Given the lack of resources available for the prevention of overweight and obesity among this section of the population, as well as the upward trend globally, this result, although “modest”, is viewed as a “success” by Health Promotion Switzerland.

The data reveals major differences between Swiss regions. At primary school level, the proportion of overweight children varies by six percentage points between cantons. This is even more than eight percentage points at upper secondary level. Whereas previous assessments showed clear differences between urban and rural areas, these are now barely perceptible.

Origin and social background as risk factors

The risk of obesity is closely linked to the living conditions of children and families. Children of parents with no post-compulsory education are up to three times more likely to be overweight than children of parents who have gone on to higher education. The overweight figures are also much higher among pupils without a Swiss passport (24%) than among their Swiss peers (14.2%).

Targeted measures are therefore still needed, particularly for children from disadvantaged social backgrounds. The problem is not the lack of such measures, but rather their limited reach, according to Health Promotion Switzerland.

The survey was based on data from over 30,000 schoolchildren in eleven cantons and four cities.

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Translated from French by DeepL/sb

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