Brazil vs South Africa: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita
Brazil
30.9%
in 2024
South Africa
31.3%
in 2024
Brazil rank
61st
South Africa rank
59th
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 31.3% against 30.9% in Brazil, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 45 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Brazil ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 59th of 199 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.3% | 11.2% | 4.8% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 16.6% | 7.3% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 22.9% | 9.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 27.2% | 5.7% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 28.8% | 30.4% | 1.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita, Brazil or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 31.3% against 30.9% in Brazil as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita between Brazil and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
- Brazil ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 59th 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 adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.