British Children Grow Taller as Obesity Rates Rise, Reflecting Wider European Trends

A study by Andrew Moscrop and colleagues from the University of Oxford and University College London, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, documents a steady increase in average height of 11-year-old children in England, Scotland and Wales. For boys, age-standardised height rose from 145 cm in 2009/10 to 145.7 cm in 2019/20, peaked at 146.5 cm in 2020/21, and settled at 146.4 cm in 2023/24. Girls showed a similar pattern, moving from 145.8 cm in 2009/10 to 146.6 cm in 2019/20, reaching 148 cm during the pandemic, and 147.5 cm in 2023/24.

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The researchers link the height gains to childhood obesity, particularly in deprived areas. In England’s most deprived decile, the average height of 11-year-old boys increased by 1.7 cm between 2009/10 and 2023/24, while the proportion of children overweight or obese grew from 37.7 % to 43.3 % over the period. Study notes that narrowing of height inequalities—especially among girls, where the deprivation gap briefly reversed—coincides with higher obesity prevalence in poorer communities.

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The analysis uses the Index of Multiple Deprivation, a metric that aggregates income, employment, education, health, crime and housing data to rank neighbourhoods into deciles. Moscrop describes most and least deprived groups as “poorer” and “wealthier” areas. School closures and home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced physical-activity opportunities and promoted less nutritious diets, effects that were pronounced in deprived neighbourhoods.

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World Health Organization (WHO) data indicate childhood obesity among 5- to 19-year-olds in the WHO European region doubled from 3.8 % in 1990 to 8 % in 2022. The United Kingdom experienced a sharper rise, moving from 4.5 % to 11.3 % in the same interval, highest rate among Europe’s five largest economies—exceeding Spain (10.5 %), Italy (9.6 %), Germany (8.5 %) and France (4.1 %). Among 40 European countries tracked by WHO, Hungary recorded the highest national rate in 2022 at 14.8 %, followed by Cyprus (14.1 %) and Finland (12.7 %).

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Authors caution that taller stature does not signal improved child health. Instead, the rise in obesity suggests deteriorating nutritional and activity patterns, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Findings challenge media narratives that associate height gains with health outcomes and underscore need for policies targeting food environments and physical-activity opportunities in deprived communities.

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The research team emphasizes that pandemic-related school closures amplified dietary and activity disparities, leading to higher obesity rates among children in poorer areas. They argue that monitoring height trends can serve as an indirect indicator of socioeconomic health inequalities and call for interventions that address food-access inequities.

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• “Children in poorer areas are exposed to more unhealthy food outlets and fewer healthy food sources,” — Andrew Moscrop, Researcher, University of Oxford

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• “Moscrop, speaking on the University of Oxford blog, describes them simply as ‘poorer’ and ‘wealthier’ areas.” — Andrew Moscrop, describing deprivation deciles on the University of Oxford blog

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