National Child Measurement Programme annual report, academic year 2025 to 2026

Introduction

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a key element of the Government’s approach to tackling childhood obesity by annually measuring over one million children and providing reliable data on the prevalence of obesity. Children have their height and weight measured in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) and year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) in mainstream state-maintained primary schools in England. In 2025 to 2026 the NCMP collected height and weight measurements from 1,132,450 children, which is 94.5% of all eligible children.

There is public health concern about the trend in childhood obesity in England and the implications of obesity persisting into adulthood. Obesity in adults is a risk factor for other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. It may also impact on mental health.

This report contains analysis of the 2025 to 2026 academic year, showing the latest patterns and trends in the percentage of children in each body mass index (BMI) category. Some sections present data for specific BMI categories where notable variation is observed, while most of the commentary focuses on the patterns and trends in obesity prevalence. The 2025 to 2026 prevalence data for all BMI categories, at national, regional and local level, is available to view and download from the Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile.


BMI category definitions used in this report

For population monitoring purposes, a child’s body mass index (BMI) is assigned to the overweight or obesity category where it is on or above the 85th or 95th centile, respectively, based on the British 1990 (UK90) growth reference data. The population monitoring cut-offs for overweight and obesity are lower than the clinical cut-offs (91st and 98th centiles for overweight and obesity) which are used alongside waist to height ratio to assess individual children. This is to capture children whose BMI falls within the clinical overweight or obesity categories, as well as those who are at high risk of moving into these categories. This helps ensure that we support both the prevention and treatment of obesity across the whole population and promote healthy growth for all children.

There is no international consensus on the classification of child BMI. As a result, different countries use different systems and definitions. See NCMP methods report for further information.

A child’s BMI is calculated from their height and weight. Child BMI varies naturally with age and between boys and girls as children grow and develop. This means that, unlike in adults, a child’s BMI needs to be considered in relation to their age and sex to determine their BMI category. A BMI centile is calculated for each child using the British 1990 (UK90) growth reference, taking account of their age and sex. The BMI centile indicates where a child’s BMI falls compared with children of the same age and sex in the UK90 reference population. For example, the 85th centile is the point at which 85% of children of the same age and sex in the UK90 reference population had a lower BMI.

Population-monitoring thresholds are used to categorise BMI in the data presented in this commentary. Results using the clinical cut-offs are available in Table 11 of the accompanying data tables published alongside this report.

The child’s BMI category is assigned as outlined in the table below.

Table 1: BMI category definitions for population monitoring

BMI category BMI centile range for population monitoring
Underweight Less than or equal to 2nd centile
Healthy weight Greater than 2nd centile and less than 85th centile
Overweight (excluding obesity) Equal to or greater than 85th centile and less than 95th centile
Obesity Equal to or greater than 95th centile
Severe obesity (a subset of obesity) Equal to or greater than 99.6th centile

Accompanying this report are:

  • data tables, including 95% confidence intervals which should be considered when interpreting results
  • a methods report with information on data collection and validation, data quality, calculation of prevalence and confidence intervals, statistical testing and the method used for BMI classification
  • the Obesity, physical activity and nutrition fingertips profile, an interactive tool that displays NCMP data from academic years 2006 to 2007 to 2025 to 2026, and data on trends and inequalities at national and local level


Statistical differences

Comparisons between groups and over time have been statistically tested to determine whether differences are likely to be genuine (statistically significant) or the result of random natural variation. Only statistically significant differences have been described with terms such as “higher”, “lower”, “increase” or “decrease”. When a comparison does not show a statistically significant difference, this will be described using terms such as “similar to” or “the same as”. Details of the significance testing can be found in the methods report.


Main findings

In the academic year 2025 to 2026, 1,132,450 children were measured at state-maintained schools in England as part of the NCMP collection. The majority of these children were a healthy weight (75.1% in reception and 61.6% in year 6), with girls more likely than boys to be a healthy weight (figures 1 and 2).

In 2025 to 2026 prevalence of obesity was 10.7% among children in reception and 22.8% in children in year 6. Excluding the peak in 2020 to 2021 during the pandemic, this is the highest obesity prevalence seen in reception since the NCMP began in 2006 to 2007. For children in year 6, obesity prevalence at 22.8% is higher than last year (22.2% in 2024 to 2025) and higher than pre-pandemic levels (figure 4a).

Large differences in prevalence by level of deprivation remain; obesity prevalence continues to be more than double in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas for both reception (14.2% compared to 6.9%) and year 6 (30.3% compared to 13.9%), with the deprivation gap increasing since the early years of the NCMP. (figures 11 and 12).

Large differences in prevalence remain between ethnic groups, with obesity prevalence highest in reception and year 6 children from Black ethnic groups and year 6 children from the Bangladeshi ethnic group. Reception and year 6 children from the Indian ethnic group had the highest prevalence of underweight. (figures 5 and 6).

At a regional and local level, variation in obesity prevalence is largely driven by persistent inequalities by ethnic group and deprivation.


Latest data

Definitions of the BMI categories are defined in Table 1. Figures 1 and 2 show the latest data for 2025 to 2026 :

  • the majority of children in reception (75.1%) and in year 6 (61.6%) were a healthy weight
  • obesity prevalence in year 6 (22.8%) was more than twice as high as in reception (10.7%), there were 136,518 children in year 6 with obesity compared with 57,316 children in reception
  • severe obesity prevalence in year 6 (5.9%) was higher than in reception (3.0%)
  • in reception, 1.1% of children were underweight as were 1.6% of children in year 6
  • prevalence of obesity is higher in boys than girls, in both reception (10.9% compared to 10.5%) and year 6 (25.0% compared to 20.6%)
  • prevalence of severe obesity is higher in boys than girls, in both reception (3.2% compared to 2.8%) and year 6 (6.9% compared to 4.8%)
  • in reception, underweight prevalence is higher in boys (1.4%) than girls (0.7%), but in year 6 underweight prevalence is higher in girls (1.7%) than boys (1.5%)


Figure 1: Prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by sex and BMI category, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by sex and BMI category

Sex BMI Category Value (%) 95% confidence interval lower limit (%) 95% confidence interval upper limit (%)
Persons Severe obesity 3.0 3.0 3.1
Boys Severe obesity 3.2 3.1 3.3
Girls Severe obesity 2.8 2.8 2.9
Persons Obesity (including severe obesity) 10.7 10.6 10.8
Boys Obesity (including severe obesity) 10.9 10.8 11.1
Girls Obesity (including severe obesity) 10.5 10.4 10.6
Persons Overweight 13.1 13.0 13.2
Boys Overweight 13.1 13.0 13.2
Girls Overweight 13.1 13.0 13.3
Persons Healthy weight 75.1 75.0 75.2
Boys Healthy weight 74.6 74.4 74.7
Girls Healthy weight 75.6 75.5 75.8
Persons Underweight 1.1 1.1 1.1
Boys Underweight 1.4 1.4 1.5
Girls Underweight 0.7 0.7 0.8

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 1 of the accompanying data tables


Figure 2: Prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) by sex and BMI category, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) by sex and BMI category

Sex BMI Category Value (%) 95% confidence interval lower limit (%) 95% confidence interval upper limit (%)
Persons Severe obesity 5.9 5.8 5.9
Boys Severe obesity 6.9 6.8 7.0
Girls Severe obesity 4.8 4.7 4.9
Persons Obesity (including severe obesity) 22.8 22.7 22.9
Boys Obesity (including severe obesity) 25.0 24.8 25.1
Girls Obesity (including severe obesity) 20.6 20.4 20.7
Persons Overweight 14.0 14.0 14.1
Boys Overweight 13.9 13.8 14.1
Girls Overweight 14.1 14.0 14.3
Persons Healthy weight 61.6 61.4 61.7
Boys Healthy weight 59.6 59.4 59.8
Girls Healthy weight 63.6 63.4 63.8
Persons Underweight 1.6 1.6 1.6
Boys Underweight 1.5 1.4 1.5
Girls Underweight 1.7 1.6 1.7

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 1 of the accompanying data tables


Ethnicity

There is variation in obesity prevalence across ethnic groups. Some of these differences may be due to the influence of other factors such as area deprivation and physiological differences such as height.

Definitions of the BMI categories are provided in Table 1.


BMI category prevalence in reception by ethnic group

In reception in 2025 to 2026:

  • obesity prevalence was highest among children from Black African (15.6%) and Black Caribbean ethnic groups (14.2%)
  • underweight prevalence was highest in children from the Indian ethnic group (5.6%)


Figure 5a to 5c: Prevalence of obesity, severe obesity and underweight in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by ethnic group, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 5a: Obesity prevalence in reception by ethnic group

Figure 5b: Severe obesity prevalence in reception by ethnic group

Figure 5c: Underweight prevalence in reception by ethnic group

Prevalence in reception children (aged 4 to 5 years), by ethnic group

BMI Category Ethnic group Value (%) 95% confidence interval lower limit (%) 95% confidence interval upper limit (%)
Obesity Not stated or invalid 10.6 10.4 10.9
Obesity Bangladeshi 10.4 9.8 11.1
Obesity Any other White background 9.6 9.3 9.9
Obesity Black Caribbean 14.2 13.1 15.4
Obesity Chinese 4.6 3.8 5.6
Obesity White Irish 12.3 10.7 14.2
Obesity White and Black Caribbean 13.4 12.6 14.1
Obesity Black African 15.6 15.2 16.1
Obesity White and Asian 7.4 6.9 8.0
Obesity Indian 6.4 6.1 6.7
Obesity Any other mixed background 10.4 9.9 10.8
Obesity Any other Black background 13.8 12.9 14.8
Obesity Any other Asian background 9.3 8.8 9.8
Obesity White and Black African 13.6 12.7 14.6
Obesity Pakistani 10.9 10.5 11.3
Obesity White British 10.9 10.7 11.0
Obesity Any other ethnic group 11.2 10.7 11.7
Obesity England 10.7 10.6 10.8
Severe obesity Not stated or invalid 3.0 2.8 3.1
Severe obesity Bangladeshi 4.0 3.6 4.4
Severe obesity Any other mixed background 3.1 2.9 3.4
Severe obesity Any other White background 2.9 2.8 3.1
Severe obesity Black Caribbean 4.5 3.9 5.2
Severe obesity Any other Black background 4.9 4.3 5.5
Severe obesity Any other Asian background 3.0 2.7 3.3
Severe obesity Chinese 1.0 0.6 1.5
Severe obesity White Irish 3.3 2.5 4.4
Severe obesity White and Black African 4.7 4.2 5.4
Severe obesity Pakistani 3.8 3.6 4.1
Severe obesity White British 2.8 2.7 2.8
Severe obesity Any other ethnic group 3.6 3.3 3.9
Severe obesity White and Black Caribbean 4.1 3.7 4.6
Severe obesity Black African 5.1 4.8 5.4
Severe obesity White and Asian 2.0 1.8 2.4
Severe obesity Indian 2.2 2.0 2.4
Severe obesity England 3.0 3.0 3.1
Underweight Chinese 1.4 0.9 1.9
Underweight White Irish 0.3 0.1 0.8
Underweight Any other Asian background 3.0 2.7 3.3
Underweight Any other Black background 1.2 0.9 1.5
Underweight Any other White background 0.8 0.7 0.9
Underweight Black Caribbean 0.8 0.6 1.2
Underweight White and Asian 1.7 1.4 2.0
Underweight Black African 1.0 0.9 1.2
Underweight Indian 5.6 5.3 5.9
Underweight White and Black African 0.8 0.6 1.1
Underweight Pakistani 3.2 3.0 3.5
Underweight White British 0.4 0.4 0.4
Underweight Any other ethnic group 1.3 1.1 1.5
Underweight White and Black Caribbean 0.5 0.4 0.7
Underweight Not stated or invalid 1.4 1.2 1.5
Underweight Bangladeshi 3.3 3.0 3.7
Underweight Any other mixed background 1.1 1.0 1.3
Underweight England 1.1 1.1 1.1

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 3 of the accompanying data tables


BMI category prevalence in year 6 by ethnic group

In year 6 in 2025 to 2026:

  • obesity prevalence was highest among children from Black Caribbean (31.1%), Black African (30.3%), any other Black background (30.7%) and Bangladeshi (29.4%) ethnic groups
  • underweight prevalence was highest in children from the Indian ethnic group (5.0%)


Figure 6a to 6c: Prevalence of obesity, severe obesity and underweight in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by ethnic group, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 6a: Obesity prevalence in year 6 by ethnic group

Figure 6b: Severe obesity prevalence in year 6 by ethnic group

Figure 6c: Underweight prevalence in year 6 by ethnic group

Prevalence in year 6 children (aged 10 to 11 years), by ethnic group

BMI Category Ethnic group Value (%) 95% confidence interval lower limit (%) 95% confidence interval upper limit (%)
Obesity Not stated or invalid 23.0 22.7 23.4
Obesity Bangladeshi 29.4 28.5 30.3
Obesity Any other mixed background 22.2 21.6 22.8
Obesity Black Caribbean 31.1 29.8 32.4
Obesity Any other White background 22.9 22.5 23.3
Obesity Any other Black background 30.7 29.5 31.9
Obesity Any other Asian background 23.7 23.0 24.4
Obesity White Irish 21.0 18.9 23.2
Obesity Chinese 14.6 13.6 15.6
Obesity Pakistani 26.9 26.3 27.4
Obesity White and Black African 28.2 27.0 29.4
Obesity White British 21.4 21.2 21.5
Obesity Any other ethnic group 26.7 26.0 27.4
Obesity White and Black Caribbean 28.4 27.4 29.4
Obesity Black African 30.3 29.7 30.9
Obesity White and Asian 19.2 18.4 20.1
Obesity Indian 20.6 20.0 21.1
Obesity England 22.8 22.7 22.9
Severe obesity Not stated or invalid 5.8 5.6 6.0
Severe obesity Bangladeshi 6.9 6.5 7.5
Severe obesity Any other mixed background 5.9 5.5 6.2
Severe obesity Black Caribbean 10.5 9.7 11.4
Severe obesity Any other White background 6.5 6.3 6.7
Severe obesity Any other Black background 10.0 9.3 10.8
Severe obesity Any other Asian background 5.5 5.2 5.9
Severe obesity White Irish 5.1 4.1 6.4
Severe obesity Chinese 2.4 2.0 2.8
Severe obesity Pakistani 6.8 6.5 7.1
Severe obesity White and Black African 9.4 8.6 10.2
Severe obesity White British 5.3 5.3 5.4
Severe obesity Any other ethnic group 7.1 6.7 7.5
Severe obesity White and Black Caribbean 9.1 8.5 9.8
Severe obesity Black African 9.0 8.7 9.4
Severe obesity White and Asian 4.6 4.1 5.0
Severe obesity Indian 4.0 3.8 4.3
Severe obesity England 5.9 5.8 5.9
Underweight Not stated or invalid 1.6 1.5 1.7
Underweight Bangladeshi 2.9 2.6 3.2
Underweight Any other mixed background 1.6 1.4 1.8
Underweight Any other White background 1.4 1.3 1.5
Underweight Black Caribbean 1.0 0.8 1.3
Underweight Any other Black background 1.1 0.9 1.5
Underweight Any other Asian background 3.3 3.0 3.6
Underweight Chinese 3.2 2.7 3.8
Underweight White Irish 1.0 0.6 1.7
Underweight White and Black African 0.7 0.5 1.0
Underweight Pakistani 3.8 3.6 4.1
Underweight White British 1.1 1.1 1.2
Underweight Any other ethnic group 1.4 1.3 1.6
Underweight White and Black Caribbean 0.9 0.7 1.1
Underweight Black African 1.1 1.0 1.3
Underweight White and Asian 2.6 2.3 3.0
Underweight Indian 5.0 4.7 5.3
Underweight England 1.6 1.6 1.6

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 3 of the accompanying data tables


Deprivation

There is a strong correlation between obesity and level of deprivation, with children living in the more deprived areas experiencing a higher prevalence of obesity. Data is presented using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), a measure of relative deprivation for small areas. The small areas are divided according to their deprivation rank into 10 equal groups (deciles), ranging from the most deprived areas (decile 1) to the least deprived areas (decile 10). Deprivation analysis can be viewed and downloaded for all BMI categories in the Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile. Definitions of the BMI categories are defined in Table 1.


Obesity prevalence in reception by deprivation IMD deciles (using child postcode)

In reception children in 2025 to 2026:

  • the prevalence of obesity was more than double among reception children living in the most deprived areas (14.2%) compared with children living in the least deprived areas (6.9%)
  • the prevalence of severe obesity was around 3 times as high among reception children living in the most deprived areas (4.7%) compared with children living in the least deprived areas (1.4%)


Figure 9a to 9b: Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by deprivation decile, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 9a: Obesity prevalence in reception by deprivation decile

Figure 9b: Severe obesity prevalence in reception by deprivation decile

Prevalence by deprivation decile and BMI category in 2025 to 2026, reception (aged 4 to 5 years)

BMI category Deprivation decile Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Obesity England 10.7 10.6 10.8
Obesity Decile 1, most deprived 14.2 14.0 14.5
Obesity Decile 2 13.3 13.0 13.5
Obesity Decile 3 12.2 12.0 12.5
Obesity Decile 4 11.5 11.3 11.8
Obesity Decile 5 10.6 10.3 10.9
Obesity Decile 6 10.1 9.8 10.4
Obesity Decile 7 9.3 9.0 9.5
Obesity Decile 8 8.6 8.4 8.9
Obesity Decile 9 8.2 7.9 8.4
Obesity Decile 10, least deprived 6.9 6.6 7.1
Severe obesity England 3.0 3.0 3.1
Severe obesity Decile 1, most deprived 4.7 4.6 4.9
Severe obesity Decile 2 4.1 4.0 4.3
Severe obesity Decile 3 3.8 3.6 3.9
Severe obesity Decile 4 3.4 3.2 3.6
Severe obesity Decile 5 2.9 2.7 3.0
Severe obesity Decile 6 2.6 2.5 2.8
Severe obesity Decile 7 2.3 2.1 2.4
Severe obesity Decile 8 2.1 1.9 2.2
Severe obesity Decile 9 1.7 1.6 1.9
Severe obesity Decile 10, least deprived 1.4 1.3 1.5

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 5 of the accompanying data tables


Obesity prevalence in year 6 by deprivation IMD deciles (using child postcode)

In year 6 children in 2025 to 2026:

  • the prevalence of obesity was more than double among children living in the most deprived areas (30.3%) compared with children living in the least deprived areas (13.9%)
  • the prevalence of severe obesity was around 4 times as high among children living in the most deprived areas (9.5%) compared with children living in the least deprived areas (2.4%)


Figure 10a to 10b: Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) by deprivation decile, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 10a: Obesity prevalence in year 6 by deprivation decile

Figure 10b: Severe obesity prevalence in year 6 by deprivation decile

Prevalence by deprivation decile and BMI category in 2025 to 2026, year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years)

BMI category Deprivation decile Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Obesity England 22.8 22.7 22.9
Obesity Decile 1, most deprived 30.3 30.0 30.6
Obesity Decile 2 28.2 27.9 28.6
Obesity Decile 3 26.5 26.2 26.9
Obesity Decile 4 24.5 24.1 24.8
Obesity Decile 5 22.9 22.6 23.3
Obesity Decile 6 21.2 20.8 21.5
Obesity Decile 7 19.2 18.9 19.5
Obesity Decile 8 18.2 17.9 18.5
Obesity Decile 9 16.7 16.4 17.0
Obesity Decile 10, least deprived 13.9 13.6 14.2
Severe obesity England 5.9 5.8 5.9
Severe obesity Decile 1, most deprived 9.5 9.3 9.7
Severe obesity Decile 2 8.3 8.1 8.5
Severe obesity Decile 3 7.3 7.1 7.5
Severe obesity Decile 4 6.4 6.2 6.6
Severe obesity Decile 5 5.7 5.5 5.9
Severe obesity Decile 6 5.0 4.9 5.2
Severe obesity Decile 7 4.2 4.0 4.4
Severe obesity Decile 8 3.8 3.6 4.0
Severe obesity Decile 9 3.1 3.0 3.2
Severe obesity Decile 10, least deprived 2.4 2.2 2.5

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 5 of the accompanying data tables


Deprivation gap by ethnic group

The pattern of obesity prevalence by deprivation varies by ethnic group. Figures 13 and 14 show the gap in obesity prevalence by deprivation for each ethnic group. For this analysis, the small areas are divided according to their deprivation rank into 5 equal groups (quintiles). Quintile 1 is the most deprived areas and quintile 5 is the least deprived areas. This analysis uses the 3 most recent academic years of available NCMP data (between 2023 to 2024 and 2025 to 2026) to ensure the findings are statistically robust as there are small numbers of children in some ethnic groups.


Deprivation gap by ethnic group in reception

Most ethnic groups follow a similar pattern to England with a large, statistically significant gap in prevalence between the least and most deprived areas (figure 13). However, this pattern is not evident in all groups; Black African children living in the least deprived areas had a similar prevalence of obesity to those in the most deprived areas of England, and the variation in the obesity prevalence across the deprivation quintiles is smaller in this group compared to other ethnic groups.


Figure 13: Obesity prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) children by deprivation quintile and ethnic group, England, NCMP academic years ending 2024 to 2026

Obesity prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) children by deprivation quintile and ethnic group, England

Ethnic group Deprivation quintile Count Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Any other Asian background 1 1077 10.3 9.7 10.9
Any other Black background 1 744 15.1 14.1 16.1
Any other White background 1 3612 12.2 11.8 12.6
Any other ethnic group 1 1937 12.4 11.9 12.9
Any other mixed background 1 1483 13.0 12.4 13.6
Bangladeshi 1 1502 11.6 11.1 12.2
Black African 1 4047 14.8 14.4 15.3
Black Caribbean 1 578 13.9 12.8 14.9
Chinese 1 89 8.3 6.8 10.1
Indian 1 1142 7.6 7.2 8.1
Not stated or invalid 1 6413 12.4 12.1 12.6
Pakistani 1 4174 11.6 11.3 12.0
White British 1 24683 14.6 14.4 14.7
White Irish 1 109 15.5 13.0 18.3
White and Asian 1 548 11.7 10.8 12.7
White and Black African 1 619 15.9 14.8 17.1
White and Black Caribbean 1 1084 15.9 15.0 16.7
Any other Asian background 2 966 10.3 9.7 11.0
Any other Black background 2 491 13.5 12.5 14.7
Any other White background 2 3027 10.1 9.8 10.5
Any other ethnic group 2 1381 11.9 11.3 12.5
Any other mixed background 2 1220 11.0 10.4 11.6
Bangladeshi 2 749 10.6 9.9 11.3
Black African 2 2457 15.5 14.9 16.0
Black Caribbean 2 485 14.0 12.9 15.2
Chinese 2 71 6.1 4.8 7.6
Indian 2 1181 7.0 6.6 7.4
Not stated or invalid 2 4575 11.1 10.8 11.4
Pakistani 2 1512 10.3 9.9 10.8
White British 2 18896 12.0 11.8 12.1
White Irish 2 100 12.6 10.5 15.1
White and Asian 2 347 7.6 6.9 8.5
White and Black African 2 495 14.0 12.9 15.2
White and Black Caribbean 2 723 13.8 12.9 14.7
Any other Asian background 3 547 8.5 7.8 9.2
Any other Black background 3 255 13.0 11.6 14.6
Any other White background 3 2192 8.7 8.3 9.0
Any other ethnic group 3 850 10.4 9.8 11.1
Any other mixed background 3 881 9.2 8.7 9.8
Bangladeshi 3 261 9.1 8.1 10.2
Black African 3 1211 14.8 14.1 15.6
Black Caribbean 3 198 11.0 9.6 12.5
Chinese 3 47 3.8 2.8 5.0
Indian 3 699 6.0 5.6 6.5
Not stated or invalid 3 3480 9.4 9.2 9.7
Pakistani 3 800 9.9 9.3 10.6
White British 3 17259 10.0 9.8 10.1
White Irish 3 80 10.4 8.4 12.7
White and Asian 3 280 6.4 5.7 7.2
White and Black African 3 353 13.2 11.9 14.5
White and Black Caribbean 3 490 12.0 11.0 13.0
Any other Asian background 4 403 7.9 7.2 8.7
Any other Black background 4 198 13.4 11.7 15.2
Any other White background 4 1594 7.5 7.1 7.9
Any other ethnic group 4 592 9.0 8.3 9.7
Any other mixed background 4 650 7.6 7.0 8.1
Bangladeshi 4 149 9.3 8.0 10.8
Black African 4 849 15.1 14.2 16.1
Black Caribbean 4 104 10.5 8.7 12.6
Chinese 4 55 3.3 2.6 4.3
Indian 4 518 5.2 4.8 5.7
Not stated or invalid 4 2983 8.5 8.2 8.8
Pakistani 4 465 8.8 8.0 9.6
White British 4 16102 8.5 8.4 8.7
White Irish 4 102 11.6 9.6 13.9
White and Asian 4 289 5.9 5.3 6.6
White and Black African 4 262 11.0 9.8 12.3
White and Black Caribbean 4 372 10.7 9.8 11.8
Any other Asian background 5 276 6.5 5.8 7.2
Any other Black background 5 97 11.0 9.1 13.3
Any other White background 5 1195 6.6 6.2 7.0
Any other ethnic group 5 409 8.3 7.5 9.1
Any other mixed background 5 552 6.8 6.3 7.4
Bangladeshi 5 74 7.4 5.9 9.2
Black African 5 474 14.0 12.9 15.2
Black Caribbean 5 40 7.4 5.5 9.9
Chinese 5 63 2.7 2.1 3.5
Indian 5 445 4.6 4.2 5.0
Not stated or invalid 5 2386 7.6 7.3 7.9
Pakistani 5 318 8.0 7.2 8.9
White British 5 13237 7.2 7.1 7.3
White Irish 5 71 8.2 6.5 10.2
White and Asian 5 258 4.6 4.0 5.1
White and Black African 5 194 10.3 9.0 11.8
White and Black Caribbean 5 270 9.5 8.5 10.6
England 1 53841 13.3 13.2 13.4
England 2 38676 11.4 11.3 11.5
England 3 29883 9.7 9.6 9.8
England 4 25687 8.5 8.4 8.6
England 5 20359 7.2 7.1 7.3

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 7 of the accompanying data tables. Note that some of the analysis by ethnic groups and deprivation quintile uses smaller numbers of records. The counts for each group can be viewed in the accompanying data.


Deprivation gap by ethnic group in year 6

As with reception, most ethnic groups follow a similar pattern to England for year 6 children with a large, statistically significant gap in prevalence between the least and most deprived areas (figure 14). However, this pattern is not evident in all groups; Black African children and any other Black background children living in the least deprived areas have a similar prevalence of obesity to those in the most deprived areas of England, and the variation in the obesity prevalence across the different quintiles is smaller in these groups compared to other ethnic groups.

Figure 14: Obesity prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) children by deprivation quintile and ethnic group, England, NCMP academic years ending 2024 to 2026

Obesity prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) children by deprivation quintile and ethnic group, England

Ethnic group Deprivation quintile Count Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Any other Asian background 1 2944 26.2 25.4 27.1
Any other Black background 1 2020 31.0 29.9 32.2
Any other White background 1 10202 29.6 29.1 30.1
Any other ethnic group 1 5654 28.7 28.1 29.4
Any other mixed background 1 3126 28.4 27.6 29.3
Bangladeshi 1 4575 30.6 29.9 31.4
Black African 1 9382 30.2 29.7 30.7
Black Caribbean 1 1756 31.7 30.4 32.9
Chinese 1 415 22.0 20.2 23.9
Indian 1 3445 24.1 23.4 24.8
Not stated or invalid 1 13538 27.7 27.3 28.0
Pakistani 1 11704 28.3 27.9 28.8
White British 1 58998 29.0 28.8 29.2
White Irish 1 214 28.8 25.7 32.2
White and Asian 1 1403 29.2 27.9 30.5
White and Black African 1 1467 31.8 30.5 33.1
White and Black Caribbean 1 2387 32.1 31.0 33.1
Any other Asian background 2 2566 25.4 24.5 26.2
Any other Black background 2 1565 31.0 29.8 32.3
Any other White background 2 7770 24.9 24.4 25.4
Any other ethnic group 2 3492 27.0 26.2 27.7
Any other mixed background 2 2779 25.2 24.4 26.0
Bangladeshi 2 2298 28.9 27.9 29.9
Black African 2 6091 30.1 29.5 30.8
Black Caribbean 2 1491 32.3 30.9 33.6
Chinese 2 368 17.5 16.0 19.2
Indian 2 3819 23.1 22.5 23.7
Not stated or invalid 2 8693 24.3 23.9 24.8
Pakistani 2 4312 26.4 25.7 27.1
White British 2 44175 24.3 24.1 24.4
White Irish 2 206 24.6 21.8 27.7
White and Asian 2 993 22.2 21.0 23.4
White and Black African 2 1084 28.3 26.9 29.8
White and Black Caribbean 2 1708 29.6 28.4 30.8
Any other Asian background 3 1678 22.9 22.0 23.9
Any other Black background 3 776 30.7 29.0 32.6
Any other White background 3 5232 20.9 20.4 21.4
Any other ethnic group 3 2116 25.2 24.2 26.1
Any other mixed background 3 1946 21.9 21.0 22.7
Bangladeshi 3 894 28.1 26.6 29.7
Black African 3 3005 30.8 29.9 31.7
Black Caribbean 3 679 30.2 28.3 32.1
Chinese 3 320 15.1 13.6 16.7
Indian 3 2460 20.7 20.0 21.4
Not stated or invalid 3 7209 21.4 20.9 21.8
Pakistani 3 2124 24.3 23.4 25.2
White British 3 39337 20.4 20.2 20.5
White Irish 3 169 19.4 16.9 22.1
White and Asian 3 778 17.8 16.7 19.0
White and Black African 3 808 28.4 26.7 30.0
White and Black Caribbean 3 1032 26.4 25.1 27.8
Any other Asian background 4 1106 20.0 19.0 21.1
Any other Black background 4 481 29.1 27.0 31.4
Any other White background 4 3729 17.9 17.3 18.4
Any other ethnic group 4 1430 21.7 20.7 22.7
Any other mixed background 4 1539 18.7 17.9 19.6
Bangladeshi 4 393 25.4 23.3 27.6
Black African 4 1861 29.3 28.2 30.5
Black Caribbean 4 314 27.9 25.3 30.6
Chinese 4 341 11.7 10.6 12.9
Indian 4 1740 17.1 16.4 17.8
Not stated or invalid 4 6139 18.8 18.4 19.3
Pakistani 4 1274 23.6 22.4 24.7
White British 4 36192 17.4 17.3 17.6
White Irish 4 131 15.9 13.6 18.6
White and Asian 4 688 14.8 13.8 15.9
White and Black African 4 561 24.7 22.9 26.5
White and Black Caribbean 4 812 24.9 23.4 26.4
Any other Asian background 5 948 18.0 17.0 19.1
Any other Black background 5 301 30.1 27.3 33.0
Any other White background 5 2707 14.5 14.0 15.0
Any other ethnic group 5 978 19.4 18.3 20.5
Any other mixed background 5 1230 15.4 14.6 16.2
Bangladeshi 5 231 23.3 20.8 26.0
Black African 5 1142 28.3 27.0 29.7
Black Caribbean 5 151 24.8 21.6 28.4
Chinese 5 474 10.0 9.2 10.9
Indian 5 1733 15.2 14.6 15.9
Not stated or invalid 5 5076 15.9 15.5 16.3
Pakistani 5 894 21.8 20.5 23.0
White British 5 30034 14.1 13.9 14.2
White Irish 5 117 13.1 11.0 15.5
White and Asian 5 651 11.7 10.8 12.5
White and Black African 5 408 22.3 20.4 24.2
White and Black Caribbean 5 554 20.9 19.3 22.4
England 1 133230 28.9 28.7 29.0
England 2 93410 25.2 25.0 25.3
England 3 70563 21.4 21.3 21.6
England 4 58731 18.3 18.1 18.4
England 5 47629 14.9 14.8 15.0

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 7 of the accompanying data tables. Note that some of the analysis by ethnic groups and deprivation quintile uses smaller numbers of records. The counts for each group can be viewed in the accompanying data.


Geography

Geographic analyses are based on the postcode of the child’s home address which is mapped to a local authority and region.

Obesity prevalence and severe obesity prevalence show variation across England, reflecting demographic and socioeconomic differences across the population. Definitions of the BMI categories are provided in Table 1.

Regional data for each BMI category can be accessed via the interactive Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile. Slide packs for easy presentation of regional NCMP data, including inequalities, can be downloaded for use from the Fingertips tool.


Reception obesity prevalence by region

In reception, in 2025 to 2026:

  • obesity prevalence was highest in the North East (12.5%), West Midlands (11.9%), Yorkshire and the Humber (11.7%) and North West (11.4%)
  • obesity prevalence was lowest in the South East (9.7%), East of England (9.9%), South West (10.0%) and London (10.2%)


Figure 15a to 15b: Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by English region, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 15a: Obesity prevalence in reception by English region

Figure 15b: Severe obesity prevalence in reception by English region

Obesity prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) by English region

BMI Category Region Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Obesity North East 12.5 12.1 12.9
Obesity North West 11.4 11.2 11.6
Obesity Yorkshire and the Humber 11.7 11.5 12.0
Obesity East Midlands 10.8 10.5 11.1
Obesity West Midlands 11.9 11.6 12.1
Obesity East of England 9.9 9.7 10.2
Obesity London 10.2 10.0 10.4
Obesity South East 9.7 9.5 9.9
Obesity South West 10.0 9.8 10.3
Obesity England 10.7 10.6 10.8
Severe obesity North East 3.7 3.5 3.9
Severe obesity North West 3.2 3.1 3.3
Severe obesity Yorkshire and the Humber 3.4 3.2 3.5
Severe obesity East Midlands 2.9 2.8 3.1
Severe obesity West Midlands 3.5 3.4 3.7
Severe obesity East of England 2.8 2.6 2.9
Severe obesity London 3.2 3.1 3.3
Severe obesity South East 2.5 2.4 2.6
Severe obesity South West 2.5 2.3 2.6
Severe obesity England 3.0 3.0 3.1

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 8a of the accompanying data tables


Year 6 obesity prevalence by region

In year 6 in 2025 to 2026:

  • obesity prevalence was highest in the North East (25.6%), West Midlands (25.3%), Yorkshire and the Humber (24.7%), North West (24.5%) and London (23.8%)
  • obesity prevalence was lowest in the South East (19.7%), South West (20.5%) and East of England (20.6%)


Figure 16a to 16b: Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) by English region, NCMP 2025 to 2026

Figure 16a: Obesity prevalence in year 6 by English region

Figure 16b: Severe obesity prevalence in year 6 by English region

Obesity prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) by English region

BMI Category Region Value (%) Lower confidence interval (%) Upper confidence interval (%)
Obesity North East 25.6 25.1 26.2
Obesity North West 24.5 24.2 24.7
Obesity Yorkshire and the Humber 24.7 24.4 25.0
Obesity East Midlands 22.7 22.3 23.0
Obesity West Midlands 25.3 25.0 25.6
Obesity East of England 20.6 20.3 20.9
Obesity London 23.8 23.5 24.0
Obesity South East 19.7 19.5 20.0
Obesity South West 20.5 20.1 20.8
Obesity England 22.8 22.7 22.9
Severe obesity North East 7.2 6.9 7.5
Severe obesity North West 6.4 6.2 6.6
Severe obesity Yorkshire and the Humber 6.8 6.6 7.0
Severe obesity East Midlands 5.9 5.7 6.1
Severe obesity West Midlands 7.1 6.9 7.3
Severe obesity East of England 4.9 4.7 5.1
Severe obesity London 6.2 6.0 6.4
Severe obesity South East 4.5 4.4 4.7
Severe obesity South West 4.8 4.6 5.0
Severe obesity England 5.9 5.8 5.9

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 8b of the accompanying data tables


Local authority prevalence data

Obesity prevalence varies by local authority and reflects differences in population demographics and socioeconomic characteristics. Local authorities with higher levels of deprivation tend to have higher obesity prevalence.

Local authority data for each BMI category can be accessed via the interactive Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile with inequality data available by deprivation, ethnicity and sex.


Obesity prevalence in reception by upper tier local authority

For reception, obesity prevalence ranged from 5.2% in Richmond upon Thames in the London region to 15.8% in Halton in the North West.


Figure 17: Obesity prevalence in reception (aged 4 to 5 years) children in England

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 8a of the accompanying data tables


Obesity prevalence in year 6 by upper tier local authority

For year 6, obesity prevalence ranged from 12.4% in Richmond upon Thames in the London region, to 32.1% in Sandwell in the West Midlands.


Figure 18: Obesity prevalence in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years) children in England

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data, available in Table 8b of the accompanying data tables


BMI distribution

The charts in this section of the report show the distribution of BMI z scores compared to the British 1990 (UK90) growth reference baseline for different demographic groups. The BMI z score is a standard deviation score which adjusts BMI for age and sex of children based on the UK90 growth reference. The distribution of BMI z scores shows a more granular picture of changes over time than that obtained by looking at prevalence by BMI category. The centiles for population monitoring, shown in table 1 of this report, are marked on the charts.

Reception BMI distribution by sex

For both reception boys and girls, the whole BMI curve has shifted slightly to the right since 1990 indicating increases in BMI. The shape of the distribution has remained similar suggesting that the increases have occurred relatively evenly for all BMI levels.

The average BMI centile has increased among reception children from the 50th centile in the UK90 reference population to the 60th centile for all children, 59th centile for boys and 60th centile for girls in 2025 to 2026.


Figure 19: BMI distribution by sex in reception (aged 4 to 5 years)

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data


Year 6 BMI distribution by sex

The shape of the distribution has changed considerably among year 6 children since the 1990 baseline. The curve is now more skewed, with a higher proportion of children in year 6 at the right-hand side of the chart with higher BMI values.

The BMI distribution for boys is more skewed than the distribution for girls, with a higher proportion of boys having a BMI over the 95th centile.

The average BMI centile has increased among year 6 children from the 50th centile in the UK90 reference population to the 63rd centile for all children, 65th centile for boys and 62nd centile for girls in 2025 to 2026.


Figure 20: BMI distribution by sex in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years)

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data


Reception BMI distribution by deprivation decile

The distribution of BMI is a different shape for reception children living in the most deprived 10% of areas in England compared to children living in the least deprived areas. There is a peak further to the right and a longer tail of high BMI z scores.

The mean BMI centile of children living in the most deprived areas in 2025 to 2026 was on the 61st centile whereas the mean among children living in the least deprived areas was on the 58th centile.


Figure 21: BMI distribution by deprivation decile in reception (aged 4 to 5 years)

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data


Year 6 BMI distribution by deprivation decile

The distribution of BMI is a very different shape for year 6 children living in the most deprived 10% of areas in England compared to children living in the least deprived areas. The peak is further to the right and flatter with a much longer tail of high BMI z scores.

The mean BMI centile of children living in the most deprived areas in 2025 to 2026 was on the 68th centile whereas the mean among children living in the least deprived areas was on the 57th centile.


Figure 22: BMI distribution by deprivation decile in year 6 (aged 10 to 11 years)

Source: DHSC analysis of NCMP data


Further information

The Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition profile

The Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition profile on Fingertips displays data from the National Child Measurement Programme.

Indicators on the prevalence of underweight, healthy weight overweight, obesity, and severe obesity are shown for England, regions, upper and lower tier local authorities, Integrated Care Boards, electoral wards, and middle super output areas.

Inequalities data is also displayed showing differences in prevalence by sex, ethnic group, and deprivation.

Data tables

This report has accompanying data tables for all the data included in the report and includes a table showing data quality measures for each local authority.

Methods report and data quality statement

The methods report provides information on NCMP data collection and validation, data quality, calculation of prevalence and confidence intervals, statistical testing and the method used for BMI classification. The data quality statement provides users with an evidence-based assessment of quality of the statistical output included in this report.

Report examining the data linking reception and year 6 NCMP measurement records

DHSC has published analysis of NCMP data looking at the changes in the body mass index (BMI) category of children between the first and final years of primary school. This report examines how individual children’s BMI category has changed between their measurements in reception at age 4 to 5 years in the academic year 2017 to 2018 and their measurements in year 6 at age 10 to 11 years in 2023 to 2024.

Child prevalence data is reported for underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obesity (excluding severe obesity) and severe obesity. How children move between BMI categories in reception to year 6 is examined by sex, ethnic group, deprivation and geographic region to see if the patterns differ within these groupings. Data for local authorities showing movements between BMI categories between reception and year 6 measurements is presented in the Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile

Child height data

A statistical commentary on data from the NCMP for the academic years 2008 to 2009 through to 2023 to 2024, describing patterns in child height and short stature was published alongside an update to the Obesity, physical activity and nutrition profile which presents child height data at a local authority level.

Feedback

If you have any feedback about this report or the accompanying files please email pha-ohid@dhsc.gov.uk with the subject heading “NCMP annual report”.