Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Somalia
Somalia: Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese was 10.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 10.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Somalia peaked at 10.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1980.
Somalia ranks 178th 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.1% | — |
| 1981 | 3.1% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 3.7% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 3.8% | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 4.0% | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 4.2% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 4.3% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 4.5% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 4.6% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 4.7% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 4.9% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 5.6% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 5.7% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 5.9% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 6.4% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 6.7% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 6.8% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 7.0% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 7.4% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 7.6% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 7.8% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 8.3% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 8.6% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 9.4% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 9.8% | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 10.1% | +3.3% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 10.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.8%, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 10.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.0%, 84% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 3.8% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.8% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 6.7% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.5% | 8.8% | 10.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More health data for Somalia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8681 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 987.7 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 32,421 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 182 (2013)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.39 % 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 0.0897 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % 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 Somalia?
- Share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese in Somalia was 10.1% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1980.
- How does Somalia rank for share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese?
- Somalia ranks 178th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia 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
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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.