Norway vs South Africa: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese
Norway
22.3%
in 2024
South Africa
21.8%
in 2024
Norway rank
116th
South Africa rank
117th
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese over time
- Norway
- South Africa
How they compare
Norway currently reports 22.3% against 21.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.5%.
Across all 45 years both countries report, Norway has been ahead every year.
Norway ranks 116th and South Africa ranks 117th of 199 countries.
Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.4% | 3.0% | 12.4% | Norway |
| 1990s | 19.9% | 6.2% | 13.7% | Norway |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 14.8% | 7.8% | Norway |
| 2010s | 22.5% | 21.1% | 1.4% | Norway |
| 2020s | 22.3% | 21.8% | 0.6% | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese, Norway or South Africa?
- Norway, at 22.3% against 21.8% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese between Norway and South Africa?
- 0.5%, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Norway and South Africa rank globally for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Norway ranks 116th and South Africa ranks 117th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years old that are defined as either overweight or obese. This means their weight-for-height is more than one standard deviations from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards.