East Riding JSNA

Health and Wellbeing Assessment in the East Riding

NCMP

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is a mandatory annual programme that measures the height and weight of all school children in reception and year 6 in England. It helps local authorities and their partners to plan and invest in services to tackle obesity and its wider determinants. It also provides feedback to parents about their child’s weight status and healthy lifestyle choices.

Data collected as part of the NCMP shows that, nationally, obesity prevalence among children in reception and year 6 is unacceptably high, and that there are significant inequalities by deprivation and ethnicity. Children who are obese (also referred to as ‘very overweight’) are more likely to suffer from physical, mental and social health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, depression, bullying and weight stigma. They are also more likely to become adults living with obesity.

This web-page will summarise NCMP information at a national level and also highlight key findings within the East Riding.

2024/25 update

An 2024/25 update for the East Riding will be available in late December 2025, in the mean time this section provides an overview of the NCMP 2024/25 national results.

Headlines:

  • Rising childhood obesity rates, especially in younger children.
  • Persistent and widening inequalities by ethnicity and deprivation.
  • Regional disparities, with northern regions and urban areas most affected.

General points:

  • Coverage: In 2024–2025, 94.1% (1,145,893) of eligible children in state schools across England were measured, slightly higher than 2023–2024 (93.6%), but still below pre-pandemic levels (~95%). Measurements were taken for children in Reception (age 4–5) and Year 6 (age 10–11) in over 17,000 schools.
  • Obesity in Reception Children: The prevalence of obesity among reception-aged children (2024–2025) increased to 10.5%, up from 9.6% in 2023–2024. Excluding the pandemic peak (2020–2021), this is the highest rate since the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) began in 2006–2007. However, it remains within expectations based on pre-pandemic trends. More years of data are needed to determine if this is a long-term increase.
  • Obesity in Year 6 Children: Prevalence in year 6 children for 2024–2025 was 22.2%, similar to 22.1% in 2023–2024, and consistent with the pre-pandemic upward trend.
  • Ethnic Group Differences: Significant disparities persist: children from Black ethnic groups are more likely to be living with obesity, while those from the Indian ethnic group are more likely to be underweight.
  • Deprivation Gap: Obesity prevalence is more than double in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived, for both reception (14.0% vs. 6.9%) and year 6 (29.3% vs. 13.5%). The gap has widened since the early years of the NCMP. In 2024–2025, obesity increased in reception children in both the most and least deprived areas.
  • Regional Variation: Obesity prevalence in reception children was highest in the North East (12.4%), Yorkshire and the Humber (12.0%), North West (11.5%), and West Midlands (11.4%). For year 6, the highest rates were in the North East (25.0%), West Midlands (24.8%), Yorkshire and the Humber (24.1%), North West (23.6%), and London (23.2%). These regional differences are mainly driven by persistent inequalities in ethnicity and deprivation.

OHID_Obesity_Child_SlideSet_England_Nov2025Download

East Riding NCMP documents from previous years

Further information

Tags: Children, Individual behaviours