In the shown time-period the mean height of men and women has generally increased in England. According to the survey, the average height of males rose slightly during the period in consideration, from 174.4 centimeters in 1998 to 176.2 centimeters (approximately 5'9") in 2022. In comparison, the mean height of women was 162.3 centimeters (5'4") in 2022, up from 161 in 1998. Reasons for height increasing While a large part of an adult’s final height is based on genetics, the environment in which a person grows up is also important. Improvements in nutrition, healthcare, and hygiene have seen the average heights increase over the last century, particularly in developed countries. Average height is usually seen as a barometer for the overall health of the population of a country, as the most developed are usually among the ‘tallest’ countries. Average waist circumference also increasing The prevalence of obesity among adults in England has generally been trending upward since 2000. In that year, 21 percent of men and women in England were classified as obese. By 2021, however, this share was 26 percent among women and 25 percent among men. Every adult age group in England had an average BMI which was classified as overweight, apart from those aged 16 to 24, indicating there is a problem with overweightness in England.

This statistic represents the average height of men in the top 20 countries worldwide as of 2016. On average, men are ***** centimeters tall in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

In 2022, men aged 55 to 64 years had an average body mass index (BMI) of 29 kg/m2 and women in the same age group had a BMI of 28.8 kg/m2, the highest mean BMI across all the age groups. Apart from individuals aged 16 to 24 years, every demographic in England had an average BMI which is classified as overweight.An increasing problem It is shown that the mean BMI of individuals for both men and women has been generally increasing year-on-year in England. The numbers show in England, as in the rest of the United Kingdom (UK), that the prevalence of obesity is an increasing health problem. The prevalence of obesity in women in England has increased by around nine percent since 2000, while for men the share of obesity has increased by six percent. Strain on the health service Being overweight increases the chances of developing serious health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancers. In the period 2019/20, England experienced over 10.7 thousand hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of obesity, whereas in 2002/03 this figure was only 1,275 admissions. Furthermore, the number of bariatric surgeries taking place in England, particularly among women, has significantly increased over the last fifteen years. In 2019/20, over 5.4 thousand bariatric surgery procedures were performed on women and approximately 1.3 thousand were carried out on men.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) was first established in 2005. It is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 within state maintained schools. Some independent and special schools also choose to participate. The measurement process is overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and not shared with school staff or pupils. Data are captured and validated by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (prior to 1 April 2013 the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC)) then collates the data at a national level, conducts further validation and analysis, and publishes an annual report. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) also publish detailed analysis of the NCMP dataset annually. The validated national NCMP dataset is shared with Public Health Observatories (PHOs) in accordance with the terms of a data sharing agreement. The PCTs also undertake additional analyses at regional and local level to inform the work of the NHS and local authorities on the healthy weight agenda. The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to: inform local planning and delivery of services for childrengather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issuesFurther information can be found at the Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme webpage. For the second edition (January 2013) a revised version of the database was deposited, with new additional tables included. The documentation has been updated accordingly. Main Topics:The database includes information on anthropometric measurements of Reception Year and Year 6 children in schools in England, collected during the school year as part of the NCMP. The database comprises tables covering BMI classification (every pupil is classified into only one BMI category); Government Office Region codes; a range of NCMP data at Primary Care Trust level; a range of NCMP data at record level; information on primary schools that did and did not participate in the NCMP Programme; a description of the school type codes; a range of NCMP data at SHA level; and information on urban/rural indicators. For a full list of fields, and descriptions within the database please refer to the metadata documentation. The database is a ‘reduced’ version of the full NCMP dataset to ensure that the risk of disclosure is minimal. See documentation for details of omitted fields. Standard Measures: Since children’s height and weight are dependent on age and sex, height and weight measurements must be standardised to take these factors into account. The standardised value is a 'z-score' and indicates how far, and in what direction, the measurement deviates from the average (mean) for that age and sex. A formula ('Cole's method') is used to standardise height, weight and BMI (see Cole, T. (1997) 'Growth monitoring with the British 1990 growth reference', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 76(1), pp.47–49). For every measurement, age (in months) and sex, there is a growth curve based on the UK 1990 Growth Reference. This provides the values required by the formula to allow the height, weight and BMI z-score to be calculated. The z-scores are converted to p-scores and allow every child to be assigned to a BMI classification using defined cut-offs. Please see the 'NCMP Guidance for Analysis' in the documentation for further details.

In 2022, the mean waist circumference in England among the age group of 65 to 74 years was 104.5 centimeters for men and 91.3 centimeters for women. The was the age group with the largest average waist circumference among men, while the highest among women was reported in the age groups 55 to 64 years and above 75 years. Age and gender differences in very high waist circumference The 2022 data shows that the age group between 65 and 74 years in England had the largest share of men with very high waist circumference at 54 percent, whereas 56 percent of the women in the age group from 55 to 64 years had the same classification. Interestingly, both men and women. The youngest age group, 16 to 34 years, had the smallest share of individuals with very high waist circumference for both genders, with men at 17 percent and women at 34 percent. Obesity trends and health implications The increasing waist sizes align with broader obesity trends in England. In 2022, the mean body mass index (BMI) for both men and women was 27.6, which falls into the overweight category. This is part of a steady upward trend since 1998. The prevalence of obesity has also risen, with 30 percent of women and 28 percent of men classified as obese in 2022, up from 21 percent for both genders in 2000. Additionally, 39 percent of men and 31 percent of women were classified as overweight in 2022, while the share of individuals classified as having normal body weight was 31 percent among men and 37 percent among women in England.

a. Other statistics are indicated in the second column.b. UK 1990 growth reference; WHO 2007 reference only available to 10 years. For children to age 10, the average UK weight Z-score was 0.5 lower than the WHO reference and the average UK height Z-score was 0.1 higher than WHO reference.c. Missing data for one child.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) was first established in 2005. It is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 within state maintained schools. Some independent and special schools also choose to participate. The measurement process is overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and not shared with school staff or pupils. Data are captured and validated by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (prior to 1 April 2013 the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC)) then collates the data at a national level, conducts further validation and analysis, and publishes an annual report. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) also publish detailed analysis of the NCMP dataset annually. The validated national NCMP dataset is shared with Public Health Observatories (PHOs) in accordance with the terms of a data sharing agreement. The PCTs also undertake additional analyses at regional and local level to inform the work of the NHS and local authorities on the healthy weight agenda. The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to: inform local planning and delivery of services for childrengather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issuesFurther information can be found at the Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme webpage. For the second edition (January 2013) a revised version of the database was deposited, with new additional tables included. The documentation has been updated accordingly. Main Topics:The database includes information on anthropometric measurements of Reception Year and Year 6 children in schools in England, collected during the school year as part of the NCMP. The database comprises tables covering BMI classification (every pupil is classified into only one BMI category); Government Office Region codes; a range of NCMP data at Primary Care Trust level; a range of NCMP data at record level; information on primary schools that did and did not participate in the NCMP Programme; a description of the school type codes; a range of NCMP data at SHA level; and information on urban/rural indicators. For a full list of fields, and descriptions within the database please refer to the metadata documentation. The database is a ‘reduced’ version of the full NCMP dataset to ensure that the risk of disclosure is minimal. See documentation for details of omitted fields. Standard Measures: Since children’s height and weight are dependent on age and sex, height and weight measurements must be standardised to take these factors into account. The standardised value is a 'z-score' and indicates how far, and in what direction, the measurement deviates from the average (mean) for that age and sex. A formula ('Cole's method') is used to standardise height, weight and BMI (see Cole, T. (1997) 'Growth monitoring with the British 1990 growth reference', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 76(1), pp.47–49). For every measurement, age (in months) and sex, there is a growth curve based on the UK 1990 Growth Reference. This provides the values required by the formula to allow the height, weight and BMI z-score to be calculated. The z-scores are converted to p-scores and allow every child to be assigned to a BMI classification using defined cut-offs. Please see the 'NCMP Guidance for Analysis' in the documentation for further details.

This is the percentage of year 6 children who are living with obesity and includes children who are living with severe obesity.

The BMI classification of each child is derived by calculating the child's BMI centile and assigning the BMI classification. Obese is defined as a BMI centile greater than or equal to the 95th centile. Severely obese is defined as a BMI centile greater than or equal to 99.6 (This BMI classification is a subset of the "Obese" classification).

The results are derived from the postcode of the school. Measurement of children's heights and weights, without shoes and coats and in normal, light, indoor clothing, was overseen by healthcare professionals and undertaken in school by trained staff. Measurements could be taken at any time during the academic year. Some children could be over one year older than others in the same school year at the point of measurement. This does not impact upon a child's BMI classification since BMI centile results are adjusted for age.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects height and weight measurements of children in reception (aged 4-5 years) and year 6 (aged 10-11 years) primarily in mainstream state-maintained schools in England. Local authorities are mandated to collect data from mainstream state-maintained schools but collection of data from special schools (schools for pupils with special educational needs and pupil referral units) and independent schools is encouraged.

Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) was first established in 2005. It is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 within state maintained schools. Some independent and special schools also choose to participate. The measurement process is overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and not shared with school staff or pupils. Data are captured and validated by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (prior to 1 April 2013 the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC)) then collates the data at a national level, conducts further validation and analysis, and publishes an annual report. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) also publish detailed analysis of the NCMP dataset annually. The validated national NCMP dataset is shared with Public Health Observatories (PHOs) in accordance with the terms of a data sharing agreement. The PCTs also undertake additional analyses at regional and local level to inform the work of the NHS and local authorities on the healthy weight agenda. The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to: inform local planning and delivery of services for childrengather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issuesFurther information can be found at the Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme webpage. Main Topics:The database includes information on anthropometric measurements of Reception Year and Year 6 children in schools in England, collected during the school year as part of the NCMP. The database comprises tables covering BMI classification (every pupil is classified into only one BMI category); Government Office Region codes; a range of NCMP data at Primary Care Trust level; a range of NCMP data at record level; information on primary schools that did and did not participate in the NCMP Programme; a description of the school type codes; a range of NCMP data at SHA level; and information on urban/rural indicators. For a full list of fields, and descriptions within the database please refer to the metadata documentation. The database is a ‘reduced’ version of the full NCMP dataset to ensure that the risk of disclosure is minimal. See documentation for details of omitted fields. Standard Measures: Since children’s height and weight are dependent on age and sex, height and weight measurements must be standardised to take these factors into account. The standardised value is a 'z-score' and indicates how far, and in what direction, the measurement deviates from the average (mean) for that age and sex. A formula ('Cole's method') is used to standardise height, weight and BMI (see Cole, T. (1997) 'Growth monitoring with the British 1990 growth reference', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 76(1), pp.47–49). For every measurement, age (in months) and sex, there is a growth curve based on the UK 1990 Growth Reference. This provides the values required by the formula to allow the height, weight and BMI z-score to be calculated. The z-scores are converted to p-scores and allow every child to be assigned to a BMI classification using defined cut-offs. Please see the 'NCMP Guidance for Analysis' in the documentation for further details.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) was first established in 2005. It is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 within state maintained schools. Some independent and special schools also choose to participate. The measurement process is overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and not shared with school staff or pupils. Data are captured and validated by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (prior to 1 April 2013 the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC)) then collates the data at a national level, conducts further validation and analysis, and publishes an annual report. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) also publish detailed analysis of the NCMP dataset annually. The validated national NCMP dataset is shared with Public Health Observatories (PHOs) in accordance with the terms of a data sharing agreement. The PCTs also undertake additional analyses at regional and local level to inform the work of the NHS and local authorities on the healthy weight agenda. The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to: inform local planning and delivery of services for childrengather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issuesFurther information can be found at the Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme webpage. For the third edition (January 2013) a revised version of the database was deposited, with new additional tables included. The documentation has been updated accordingly. Main Topics:The database includes information on anthropometric measurements of Reception Year and Year 6 children in schools in England, collected during the school year as part of the NCMP. The database comprises tables covering BMI classification (every pupil is classified into only one BMI category); Government Office Region codes; a range of NCMP data at Primary Care Trust level; a range of NCMP data at record level; information on primary schools that did and did not participate in the NCMP Programme; a description of the school type codes; a range of NCMP data at SHA level; and information on urban/rural indicators. For a full list of fields, and descriptions within the database please refer to the metadata documentation. The database is a ‘reduced’ version of the full NCMP dataset to ensure that the risk of disclosure is minimal. See documentation for details of omitted fields. Standard Measures: Since children’s height and weight are dependent on age and sex, height and weight measurements must be standardised to take these factors into account. The standardised value is a 'z-score' and indicates how far, and in what direction, the measurement deviates from the average (mean) for that age and sex. A formula ('Cole's method') is used to standardise height, weight and BMI (see Cole, T. (1997) 'Growth monitoring with the British 1990 growth reference', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 76(1), pp.47–49). For every measurement, age (in months) and sex, there is a growth curve based on the UK 1990 Growth Reference. This provides the values required by the formula to allow the height, weight and BMI z-score to be calculated. The z-scores are converted to p-scores and allow every child to be assigned to a BMI classification using defined cut-offs. Please see the 'NCMP Guidance for Analysis' in the documentation for further details.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) was first established in 2005. It is an annual programme which measures the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 within state maintained schools. Some independent and special schools also choose to participate. The measurement process is overseen by trained healthcare professionals in schools and not shared with school staff or pupils. Data are captured and validated by Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) (prior to 1 April 2013 the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (NHS IC)) then collates the data at a national level, conducts further validation and analysis, and publishes an annual report. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) also publish detailed analysis of the NCMP dataset annually. The validated national NCMP dataset is shared with Public Health Observatories (PHOs) in accordance with the terms of a data sharing agreement. The PCTs also undertake additional analyses at regional and local level to inform the work of the NHS and local authorities on the healthy weight agenda. The NCMP was set up in line with the Government's strategy to tackle obesity and to: inform local planning and delivery of services for childrengather population-level data to allow analysis of trends in growth patterns and obesity increase population and professional understanding of weight issues in children be a vehicle for engaging with children and families about healthy lifestyles and weight issuesFurther information can be found at the Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme webpage. Main Topics:The database includes information on anthropometric measurements of Reception Year and Year 6 children in schools in England, collected during the school year as part of the NCMP. The database comprises tables covering BMI classification (every pupil is classified into only one BMI category); Government Office Region codes; a range of NCMP data at Primary Care Trust level; a range of NCMP data at record level; information on primary schools that did and did not participate in the NCMP Programme; a description of the school type codes; a range of NCMP data at SHA level; and information on urban/rural indicators. For a full list of fields, and descriptions within the database please refer to the metadata documentation. The database is a ‘reduced’ version of the full NCMP dataset to ensure that the risk of disclosure is minimal. See documentation for details of omitted fields. Standard Measures: Since children’s height and weight are dependent on age and sex, height and weight measurements must be standardised to take these factors into account. The standardised value is a 'z-score' and indicates how far, and in what direction, the measurement deviates from the average (mean) for that age and sex. A formula ('Cole's method') is used to standardise height, weight and BMI (see Cole, T. (1997) 'Growth monitoring with the British 1990 growth reference', Archives of Disease in Childhood, 76(1), pp.47–49). For every measurement, age (in months) and sex, there is a growth curve based on the UK 1990 Growth Reference. This provides the values required by the formula to allow the height, weight and BMI z-score to be calculated. The z-scores are converted to p-scores and allow every child to be assigned to a BMI classification using defined cut-offs. Please see the 'NCMP Guidance for Analysis' in the documentation for further details.

The United Kingdom's economy grew by 1.1 percent in 2024, after a growth rate of 0.4 percent in 2023, 4.8 percent in 2022, 8.6 percent in 2021, and a record 10.3 percent fall in 2020. During the provided time period, the biggest annual fall in gross domestic product before 2020 occurred in 2009, when the UK economy contracted by 4.6 percent at the height of the global financial crisis of the late 2000s. Before 2021, the year with the highest annual GDP growth rate was 1973, when the UK economy grew by 6.5 percent. UK economy growing but GDP per capita falling In 2022, the UK's GDP per capita amounted to approximately 37,371 pounds, with this falling to 37,028 pounds in 2023, and 36,977 pounds in 2024. While the UK economy as a whole grew during this time, the UK's population grew at a faster rate, resulting in the negative growth in GDP per capita. This suggests the UK economy's struggles with productivity are not only stagnating, but getting worse. The relatively poor economic performance of the UK in recent years has not gone unnoticed by the electorate, with the economy consistently seen as the most important issue for voters since 2022. Recent shocks to UK economy In the second quarter of 2020, the UK economy shrank by a record 20.3 percent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there was a relatively swift economic recovery initially, the economy has struggled to grow much beyond its pre-pandemic size, and was only around 3.1 percent larger in December 2024, when compared with December 2019. Although the labor market has generally been quite resilient during this time, a long twenty-month period between 2021 and 2023 saw prices rise faster than wages, and inflation surge to a high of 11.1 percent in October 2022.

There were 10,156 deaths registered in England and Wales for the week ending July 11, 2025, compared with 10,019 in the previous week. During this time period, the two weeks with the highest number of weekly deaths were in April 2020, with the week ending April 17, 2020, having 22,351 deaths, and the following week 21,997 deaths, a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Death and life expectancy As of 2022, the life expectancy for women in the UK was just over 82.5 years, and almost 78.6 years for men. Compared with 1765, when average life expectancy was under 39 years, this is a huge improvement in historical terms. Even in the more recent past, life expectancy was less than 47 years at the start of the 20th Century, and was under 70 as recently as the 1950s. Despite these significant developments in the long-term, improvements in life expectancy stalled between 2009/11 and 2015/17, and have even gone into decline since 2020. Between 2020 and 2022, for example, life expectancy at birth fell by 23 weeks for females, and 37 weeks for males. COVID-19 in the UK The first cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom were recorded on January 31, 2020, but it was not until a month later that cases began to rise exponentially. By March 5 of this year there were more than 100 cases, rising to 1,000 days later and passing 10,000 cumulative cases by March 26. At the height of the pandemic in late April and early May, there were around six thousand new cases being recorded daily. As of January 2023, there were more than 24.2 million confirmed cumulative cases of COVID-19 recorded in the United Kingdom, resulting in 202,156 deaths.

For the week ending July 11, 2025, weekly deaths in England and Wales were 567 below the number expected, compared with 638 below what was expected in the previous week. In late 2022 and through early 2023, excess deaths were elevated for a number of weeks, with the excess deaths figure for the week ending January 13, 2023, the highest since February 2021. In the middle of April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were almost 12,000 excess deaths a week recorded in England and Wales. It was not until two months later, in the week ending June 19, 2020, that the number of deaths began to be lower than the five-year average for the corresponding week. Most deaths since 1918 in 2020 In 2020, there were 689,629 deaths in the United Kingdom, making that year the deadliest since 1918, at the height of the Spanish influenza pandemic. As seen in the excess death figures, April 2020 was by far the worst month in terms of deaths during the pandemic. The weekly number of deaths for weeks 16 and 17 of that year were 22,351, and 21,997 respectively. Although the number of deaths fell to more usual levels for the rest of that year, a winter wave of the disease led to a high number of deaths in January 2021, with 18,676 deaths recorded in the fourth week of that year. For the whole of 2021, there were 667,479 deaths in the UK, 22,150 fewer than in 2020. Life expectancy in the UK goes into reverse In 2022, life expectancy at birth for women in the UK was 82.6 years, while for men it was 78.6 years. This was the lowest life expectancy in the country for ten years, and came after life expectancy improvements stalled throughout the 2010s, and then declined from 2020 onwards. There is also quite a significant regional difference in life expectancy in the UK. In the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, for example, the life expectancy for men was 81.5 years, and 86.5 years for women. By contrast, in Blackpool, in North West England, male life expectancy was just 73.1 years, while for women, life expectancy was lowest in Glasgow, at 78 years.