Height and Weight Remain Steady Over the Past 5 Years
Obesity Rate 4.5% Higher in Rural Areas Than in Urban Areas
According to a recent survey, the average height of first-year high school male students in South Korea last year was 172.9 cm, while that of female students was 161.3 cm. The average weight was 70 kg for male students and 56.9 kg for female students. One out of every three students was found to be overweight or obese.
On April 29, the Ministry of Education released the results of the "2024 Student Health Examination Sample Statistics." The analysis covered physical development and health examination results from 1,076 schools nationwide, selected as a sample from elementary, middle, and high schools.
Regarding height development, male students measured 122.5 cm in the first year of elementary school, 140.5 cm in fourth grade, 161.5 cm in the first year of middle school, and 172.9 cm in the first year of high school. Female students measured 121.0 cm in the first year of elementary school, 139.7 cm in fourth grade, 157.5 cm in the first year of middle school, and 161.3 cm in the first year of high school. The heights for both male and female students were similar to figures from the past five years.
In terms of weight, male students weighed 25.3 kg in the first year of elementary school, 39.2 kg in fourth grade, 56.1 kg in the first year of middle school, and 70.0 kg in the first year of high school. Female students weighed 24.2 kg in the first year of elementary school, 35.8 kg in fourth grade, 50.3 kg in the first year of middle school, and 56.9 kg in the first year of high school. The average weight of first-year male middle school students decreased by 1 kg compared to the previous year, while the weight of first-year male high school students increased by 0.7 kg. The weights of fourth-grade and first-year middle school female students saw a slight decrease.
The proportion of students classified as obese was 29.3%, marking a decrease for the third consecutive year. This means that one out of every three students is obese. By school level, the rates were 30.8% in high schools, 29.4% in elementary schools, and 27.5% in middle schools. By region, the proportion of obese students in eup-myeon areas was 33.1%, which is 4.5 percentage points higher than the 28.6% recorded in urban areas.
Meanwhile, the report analyzing the 2024 Student Health Examination Sample Statistics is scheduled to be published on the Student Health Information Center website in the fourth week of next month.
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