Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania
Mauritania: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 18.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania is 18.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania peaked at 18.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 1980.
Mauritania ranks 130th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.2% | — |
| 1981 | 4.3% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 4.4% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 4.5% | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 4.7% | +3.1% |
| 1985 | 4.8% | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 5.4% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 5.6% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 5.8% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 6.0% | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 6.2% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 6.5% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 6.8% | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 7.0% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 7.3% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 7.7% | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 8.0% | +4.4% |
| 1999 | 8.3% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 8.7% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 9.1% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 9.5% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 9.9% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 10.7% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 11.1% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 11.5% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 11.9% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 12.3% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 12.6% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 13.4% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 13.7% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 14.5% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 15.4% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 15.9% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 16.3% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 17.3% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 17.8% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 18.3% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 18.8% | +2.8% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 18.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.1%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 18.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.0%, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.8% | 4.2% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.0% | 5.8% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.5% | 8.7% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 12.6% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.8% | 16.8% | 18.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More health data for Mauritania
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8878 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 653 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1,563 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mauritania was 18.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 1980.
- How does Mauritania rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Mauritania ranks 130th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.