Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels 2012
Average non-HDL cholesterol levels indicate heart disease risk and vary across countries.
Interactive Map
Complete Data Rankings
Rank | Actions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1 |  Malaysia | 4.2 mg/dL | |
2 |  Thailand | 4 mg/dL | |
3 |  Costa Rica | 3.9 mg/dL | |
4 |  Fiji | 3.9 mg/dL | |
5 |  Latvia | 3.9 mg/dL | |
6 |  Lebanon | 3.9 mg/dL | |
7 |  Lithuania | 3.9 mg/dL | |
8 |  Serbia | 3.9 mg/dL | |
9 |  Brunei Darussalam | 3.8 mg/dL | |
10 |  Bulgaria | 3.8 mg/dL | |
11 |  Colombia | 3.8 mg/dL | |
12 |  Cook Islands | 3.8 mg/dL | |
13 |  Croatia | 3.8 mg/dL | |
14 |  Ecuador | 3.8 mg/dL | |
15 |  France | 3.8 mg/dL | |
16 |  Honduras | 3.8 mg/dL | |
17 |  Kuwait | 3.8 mg/dL | |
18 |  Malta | 3.8 mg/dL | |
19 |  Mexico | 3.8 mg/dL | |
20 |  Montenegro | 3.8 mg/dL | |
21 |  Panama | 3.8 mg/dL | |
22 |  Philippines | 3.8 mg/dL | |
23 |  Seychelles | 3.8 mg/dL | |
24 |  Singapore | 3.8 mg/dL | |
25 |  Tonga | 3.8 mg/dL | |
26 |  Andorra | 3.7 mg/dL | |
27 |  Austria | 3.7 mg/dL | |
28 |  Cyprus | 3.7 mg/dL | |
29 |  Estonia | 3.7 mg/dL | |
30 |  Guyana | 3.7 mg/dL | |
31 |  Hungary | 3.7 mg/dL | |
32 |  Italy | 3.7 mg/dL | |
33 |  Jordan | 3.7 mg/dL | |
34 |  Mauritius | 3.7 mg/dL | |
35 |  North Macedonia | 3.7 mg/dL | |
36 |  Norway | 3.7 mg/dL | |
37 |  Portugal | 3.7 mg/dL | |
38 |  Samoa | 3.7 mg/dL | |
39 |  Slovenia | 3.7 mg/dL | |
40 |  Ukraine | 3.7 mg/dL | |
41 |  Albania | 3.6 mg/dL | |
42 |  Argentina | 3.6 mg/dL | |
43 |  Bahamas | 3.6 mg/dL | |
44 |  Brazil | 3.6 mg/dL | |
45 |  Chile | 3.6 mg/dL | |
46 |  Czech Republic | 3.6 mg/dL | |
47 |  El Salvador | 3.6 mg/dL | |
48 |  Finland | 3.6 mg/dL | |
49 |  Germany | 3.6 mg/dL | |
50 |  Iraq | 3.6 mg/dL | |
51 |  Mongolia | 3.6 mg/dL | |
52 |  Myanmar | 3.6 mg/dL | |
53 |  New Zealand | 3.6 mg/dL | |
54 |  Oman | 3.6 mg/dL | |
55 |  Papua New Guinea | 3.6 mg/dL | |
56 |  Poland | 3.6 mg/dL | |
57 |  Romania | 3.6 mg/dL | |
58 |  Russia | 3.6 mg/dL | |
59 |  Slovakia | 3.6 mg/dL | |
60 |  Solomon Islands | 3.6 mg/dL | |
61 |  Switzerland | 3.6 mg/dL | |
62 |  Tuvalu | 3.6 mg/dL | |
63 |  United Arab Emirates | 3.6 mg/dL | |
64 |  United Kingdom | 3.6 mg/dL | |
65 |  Uruguay | 3.6 mg/dL | |
66 |  Vanuatu | 3.6 mg/dL | |
67 |  Algeria | 3.5 mg/dL | |
68 |  Bahrain | 3.5 mg/dL | |
69 |  Belarus | 3.5 mg/dL | |
70 |  Denmark | 3.5 mg/dL | |
71 |  Dominica | 3.5 mg/dL | |
72 |  Dominican Republic | 3.5 mg/dL | |
73 |  Egypt | 3.5 mg/dL | |
74 |  Greece | 3.5 mg/dL | |
75 |  Guatemala | 3.5 mg/dL | |
76 |  Haiti | 3.5 mg/dL | |
77 |  Iran | 3.5 mg/dL | |
78 |  Israel | 3.5 mg/dL | |
79 |  Luxembourg | 3.5 mg/dL | |
80 |  Micronesia (Fed. States of) | 3.5 mg/dL | |
81 |  Netherlands | 3.5 mg/dL | |
82 |  Paraguay | 3.5 mg/dL | |
83 |  Peru | 3.5 mg/dL | |
84 |  South Korea | 3.5 mg/dL | |
85 |  Spain | 3.5 mg/dL | |
86 |  Sweden | 3.5 mg/dL | |
87 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 3.5 mg/dL | |
88 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 3.5 mg/dL | |
89 |  Venezuela | 3.5 mg/dL | |
90 |  Yemen | 3.5 mg/dL | |
91 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 3.4 mg/dL | |
92 |  Australia | 3.4 mg/dL | |
93 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.4 mg/dL | |
94 |  Canada | 3.4 mg/dL | |
95 |  Cuba | 3.4 mg/dL | |
96 |  Grenada | 3.4 mg/dL | |
97 |  Iceland | 3.4 mg/dL | |
98 |  Indonesia | 3.4 mg/dL | |
99 |  Ireland | 3.4 mg/dL | |
100 |  Jamaica | 3.4 mg/dL | |
101 |  Japan | 3.4 mg/dL | |
102 |  Maldives | 3.4 mg/dL | |
103 |  Marshall Islands | 3.4 mg/dL | |
104 |  Nauru | 3.4 mg/dL | |
105 |  Nicaragua | 3.4 mg/dL | |
106 |  Niue | 3.4 mg/dL | |
107 |  North Korea | 3.4 mg/dL | |
108 |  Palau | 3.4 mg/dL | |
109 |  Qatar | 3.4 mg/dL | |
110 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3.4 mg/dL | |
111 |  Saint Lucia | 3.4 mg/dL | |
112 |  Saudi Arabia | 3.4 mg/dL | |
113 |  Suriname | 3.4 mg/dL | |
114 |  Turkey | 3.4 mg/dL | |
115 |  United States | 3.4 mg/dL | |
116 |  Uzbekistan | 3.4 mg/dL | |
117 |  Azerbaijan | 3.3 mg/dL | |
118 |  Belgium | 3.3 mg/dL | |
119 |  Belize | 3.3 mg/dL | |
120 |  Bolivia | 3.3 mg/dL | |
121 |  China | 3.3 mg/dL | |
122 |  India | 3.3 mg/dL | |
123 |  Kiribati | 3.3 mg/dL | |
124 |  Laos | 3.3 mg/dL | |
125 |  Republic of Moldova | 3.3 mg/dL | |
126 |  Sri Lanka | 3.3 mg/dL | |
127 |  Turkmenistan | 3.3 mg/dL | |
128 |  Vietnam | 3.3 mg/dL | |
129 |  Armenia | 3.2 mg/dL | |
130 |  Barbados | 3.2 mg/dL | |
131 |  Cambodia | 3.2 mg/dL | |
132 |  Ghana | 3.2 mg/dL | |
133 |  Libya | 3.2 mg/dL | |
134 |  Pakistan | 3.2 mg/dL | |
135 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3.2 mg/dL | |
136 |  South Africa | 3.2 mg/dL | |
137 |  Tunisia | 3.2 mg/dL | |
138 |  Afghanistan | 3.1 mg/dL | |
139 |  Bangladesh | 3.1 mg/dL | |
140 |  Bhutan | 3.1 mg/dL | |
141 |  Timor-Leste | 3.1 mg/dL | |
142 |  Georgia | 3.1 mg/dL | |
143 |  Kazakhstan | 3.1 mg/dL | |
144 |  Kyrgyzstan | 3.1 mg/dL | |
145 |  Nepal | 3.1 mg/dL | |
146 |  Tanzania | 3.1 mg/dL | |
147 |  Mauritania | 3 mg/dL | |
148 |  Morocco | 3 mg/dL | |
149 |  Somalia | 3 mg/dL | |
150 |  Tajikistan | 3 mg/dL | |
151 |  Angola | 2.9 mg/dL | |
152 |  Comoros | 2.9 mg/dL | |
153 |  Congo | 2.9 mg/dL | |
154 |  Djibouti | 2.9 mg/dL | |
155 |  Equatorial Guinea | 2.9 mg/dL | |
156 |  Eritrea | 2.9 mg/dL | |
157 |  Gabon | 2.9 mg/dL | |
158 |  Gambia | 2.9 mg/dL | |
159 |  Mozambique | 2.9 mg/dL | |
160 |  Sudan | 2.9 mg/dL | |
161 |  Zimbabwe | 2.9 mg/dL | |
162 |  Benin | 2.8 mg/dL | |
163 |  Cameroon | 2.8 mg/dL | |
164 |  Cabo Verde | 2.8 mg/dL | |
165 |  Central African Republic | 2.8 mg/dL | |
166 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 2.8 mg/dL | |
167 |  Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 2.8 mg/dL | |
168 |  Guinea | 2.8 mg/dL | |
169 |  Guinea-Bissau | 2.8 mg/dL | |
170 |  Liberia | 2.8 mg/dL | |
171 |  Madagascar | 2.8 mg/dL | |
172 |  Mali | 2.8 mg/dL | |
173 |  Namibia | 2.8 mg/dL | |
174 |  Senegal | 2.8 mg/dL | |
175 |  Sierra Leone | 2.8 mg/dL | |
176 |  Togo | 2.8 mg/dL | |
177 |  Botswana | 2.7 mg/dL | |
178 |  Burundi | 2.7 mg/dL | |
179 |  Chad | 2.7 mg/dL | |
180 |  Eswatini | 2.7 mg/dL | |
181 |  Ethiopia | 2.7 mg/dL | |
182 |  Kenya | 2.7 mg/dL | |
183 |  Niger | 2.7 mg/dL | |
184 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 2.7 mg/dL | |
185 |  Uganda | 2.7 mg/dL | |
186 |  Zambia | 2.7 mg/dL | |
187 |  Burkina Faso | 2.5 mg/dL | |
188 |  Lesotho | 2.5 mg/dL | |
189 |  Nigeria | 2.5 mg/dL | |
190 |  Rwanda | 2.5 mg/dL | |
191 |  Malawi | 2.4 mg/dL |
- #1Malaysia
- #2Thailand
- #3Costa Rica
- #4Fiji
- #5Latvia
- #6Lebanon
- #7Lithuania
- #8Serbia
- #9Brunei Darussalam
- #10Bulgaria
Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.
- #191Malawi
- #190Rwanda
- #189Nigeria
- #188Lesotho
- #187Burkina Faso
- #186Zambia
- #185Uganda
- #184Sao Tome and Principe
- #183Niger
- #182Kenya
Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.
Analysis & Context
In 2012, Malaysia recorded the highest Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels at 4.2 mg/dL, while the global range spanned from 2.4 mg/dL to 4.2 mg/dL. The global average for this health indicator was 3.35 mg/dL, highlighting varied cholesterol levels across different countries around the world.
Regional Dietary Influences on Cholesterol Levels
The dietary habits prevalent in different regions significantly influence Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels. In Southeast Asia, countries like Malaysia and Thailand show higher averages, with levels at 4.2 mg/dL and 4.0 mg/dL respectively. These elevated levels can be attributed to diets rich in saturated fats, a common characteristic of traditional Southeast Asian cuisine. Conversely, African nations such as Malawi and Nigeria report some of the lowest levels, at 2.4 mg/dL and 2.5 mg/dL, potentially due to diets that are lower in processed foods and higher in fiber.
Economic Development and Health Outcomes
Economic development plays a crucial role in health outcomes, including cholesterol levels. Higher-income countries often have increased access to processed foods, which can contribute to higher cholesterol levels. Serbia, Lebanon, and Latvia, each with averages of 3.9 mg/dL, reflect this trend. In contrast, lower-income countries like Burkina Faso and Lesotho maintain levels around 2.5 mg/dL, likely due to less industrialized food systems and more reliance on traditional dietary practices.
Year-over-Year Changes in Cholesterol Levels
Examining the year-over-year trends reveals interesting shifts in cholesterol levels. On average, there was a 0.3% decrease globally, with countries like Kuwait and Ecuador experiencing significant declines of 0.10 mg/dL, equating to reductions of 2.6% and 2.7% respectively. These decreases may reflect the impact of public health initiatives aimed at improving diet and lifestyle. On the other hand, countries such as Guyana and Myanmar saw increases of 0.10 mg/dL, with growth rates up to 2.9%. These increases might indicate growing urbanization and shifts towards higher-fat diets.
Public Health Implications
The variation in Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels across countries underscores the importance of tailored public health strategies. In high-cholesterol regions like Malaysia and Thailand, there is a clear need for interventions focused on dietary changes and lifestyle modifications. Conversely, countries with lower averages, such as Malawi and Nigeria, can benefit from preventive measures to maintain their advantageous positions. Understanding these patterns helps inform global health policies and prioritize resources effectively to manage cholesterol-related health risks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels in 2012
Which country had the highest average non-HDL cholesterol level in 2012?
Malaysia had the highest average non-HDL cholesterol level in 2012 with 4.2 mg/dL.
What was the lowest average non-HDL cholesterol level recorded in 2012 and in which country?
The lowest average non-HDL cholesterol level in 2012 was 2.4 mg/dL, recorded in Malawi.
What was the average non-HDL cholesterol level across all countries in 2012?
The average non-HDL cholesterol level across all countries in 2012 was 3.35 mg/dL.
What was the median non-HDL cholesterol level among countries in 2012?
The median non-HDL cholesterol level among countries in 2012 was 3.4 mg/dL.
Which countries were in the top 3 for average non-HDL cholesterol levels in 2012?
The top 3 countries for average non-HDL cholesterol levels in 2012 were Malaysia, Thailand, and Serbia.
How many countries were included in the dataset for average non-HDL cholesterol levels in 2012?
The dataset for average non-HDL cholesterol levels in 2012 included 191 countries.
Insights by country
Bahrain
Bahrain ranked #68 globally with an average Non-HDL Cholesterol Level of 3.5 mg/dL in 2012. This level is relatively moderate compared to top-ranked countries known for lower cholesterol levels, such as Japan. The country's dietary habits, influenced by traditional cuisine and economic factors, contribute significantly to these cholesterol levels, alongside a growing prevalence of lifestyle-related health issues.
Botswana
Botswana ranked #177 globally with an average Non-HDL Cholesterol Level of 2.7 mg/dL in 2012. This figure is significantly lower than many countries, reflecting a health trend that is often influenced by dietary patterns and lifestyle choices. The country's relatively low cholesterol levels can be attributed to its traditional diet, which is rich in plant-based foods and lean meats, along with ongoing public health initiatives aimed at reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
Chile
In 2012, Chile ranked #47 globally with an average Non-HDL Cholesterol Level of 3.6 mg/dL. This level is comparatively lower than some neighboring countries, indicating a relatively healthier lipid profile. Contributing factors include Chile's emphasis on public health initiatives and dietary improvements, as well as a growing awareness of cardiovascular health among its population.
Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands ranked #45 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels in 2012, with a value of 3.6 mg/dL. This level is relatively low compared to many countries, indicating a potential advantage in cardiovascular health. Factors contributing to this statistic include the Solomon Islands' traditional diet, which is rich in fish and plant-based foods, and limited access to processed foods that typically elevate cholesterol levels.
Djibouti
In 2012, Djibouti had an average Non-HDL Cholesterol Level of 2.9 mg/dL, ranking #156 out of 191 countries. This level is notably lower than many countries in the region, reflecting a unique dietary pattern. Factors contributing to this statistic include Djibouti's reliance on imported food, which often lacks the saturated fats associated with higher cholesterol levels, and a demographic profile that includes a significant portion of the population engaging in physical labor.
Burkina Faso
In 2012, Burkina Faso ranked #190 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels, with a value of 2.5 mg/dL. This level is significantly lower than many countries, including its neighbor Ghana, which has higher cholesterol levels. Contributing factors to this low average include the country's limited access to processed foods and a predominantly agrarian diet, which tends to be lower in saturated fats.
Myanmar
In 2012, Myanmar ranked #46 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels, with a value of 3.6 mg/dL. This level is lower than many neighboring countries, reflecting a diet that is traditionally low in saturated fats and high in plant-based foods. Contributing factors include Myanmar's agricultural economy, which emphasizes rice and vegetables, and a relatively low prevalence of obesity compared to global averages.
Armenia
In 2012, Armenia ranked #129 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels with a value of 3.2 mg/dL. This level is notably higher than the lowest-ranked country, which indicates a potential health concern for the population. Contributing factors to Armenia's cholesterol levels include dietary habits influenced by traditional cuisine, which often includes high-fat dairy and meats, and the country's economic challenges that may limit access to healthier food options.
Andorra
In 2012, Andorra ranked #26 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels, with a value of 3.7 mg/dL. This level is relatively low compared to many countries, reflecting a healthier lifestyle often attributed to the nation’s mountainous geography and strong emphasis on outdoor activities. Additionally, Andorra's robust healthcare system and focus on preventive health measures contribute to its favorable cholesterol levels.
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands ranked #12 globally for Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels in 2012, with a value of 3.8 mg/dL. This level is significantly lower than that of many countries, reflecting a healthier lipid profile compared to the global average. Contributing factors include the islands' traditional diet, which is rich in fresh fish and local produce, and a relatively low prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases.
Data Source
Average non-HDL cholesterol levels | Our World in Data
Our World in Data is a research organization that provides comprehensive global data on various topics, including health, economics, and environment. The dataset on average non-HDL cholesterol levels offers country-level statistics to help understand trends and disparities in cardiovascular health.
Visit Data SourceHistorical Data by Year
Explore Average Non-HDL Cholesterol Levels data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.