Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mozambique
Mozambique: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 12.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mozambique, 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 Mozambique is 12.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 38.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mozambique peaked at 12.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.2%, in 1980.
Mozambique ranks 165th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
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 Mozambique, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.2% | — |
| 1981 | 4.2% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 4.3% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 4.4% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 4.5% | +2.0% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 4.8% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 5.0% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 5.1% | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 5.5% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 5.6% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 6.1% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 6.2% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 6.5% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 6.7% | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 6.9% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 7.0% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 7.2% | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 7.3% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 7.5% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 7.6% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 7.8% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 8.1% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 8.5% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 9.2% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 10.8% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 12.0% | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | +3.5% |
Mozambique compared with similar countries
- Mozambique's 12.4% is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.8%, 1.3× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Mozambique's 12.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.0%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.5% | 4.2% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.7% | 5.1% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.2% | 6.5% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.2% | 8.1% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 10.8% | 12.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mozambique
More health data for Mozambique
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.85 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.16 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 869.7 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 18,288 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 139 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0823 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mozambique?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Mozambique was 12.4% 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 Mozambique?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Mozambique?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2% in 1980.
- How does Mozambique rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Mozambique ranks 165th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Mozambique?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mozambique 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.