Child adolescent obesity in South Africa
South Africa: Child adolescent obesity was 21.82 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
21.82
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
114th
of 196 countries
All-time high
21.82
in 2024
All-time low
2.25
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Child adolescent obesity in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 21.82 for child adolescent obesity in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child adolescent obesity in South Africa peaked at 21.82 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.25, in 1980.
That places South Africa 114th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Child adolescent obesity in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.25 | — |
| 1981 | 2.38 | +5.6% |
| 1982 | 2.51 | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 2.66 | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 2.82 | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 2.99 | +6.1% |
| 1986 | 3.19 | +6.4% |
| 1987 | 3.4 | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 3.63 | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 3.89 | +7.1% |
| 1990 | 4.17 | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 4.49 | +7.5% |
| 1992 | 4.85 | +8.1% |
| 1993 | 5.23 | +8.0% |
| 1994 | 5.69 | +8.8% |
| 1995 | 6.24 | +9.6% |
| 1996 | 6.84 | +9.6% |
| 1997 | 7.5 | +9.7% |
| 1998 | 8.22 | +9.6% |
| 1999 | 9.03 | +9.8% |
| 2000 | 9.92 | +10.0% |
| 2001 | 10.92 | +10.0% |
| 2002 | 12 | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 13.15 | +9.6% |
| 2004 | 14.33 | +9.0% |
| 2005 | 15.52 | +8.3% |
| 2006 | 16.67 | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 17.74 | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 18.69 | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 19.46 | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 20.06 | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 20.52 | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 20.84 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 21.05 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 21.19 | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 21.27 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 21.35 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 21.44 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 21.52 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 21.59 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 21.66 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 21.72 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 21.76 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 21.79 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 21.82 | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.97 | 2.25 | 3.89 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.23 | 4.17 | 9.03 | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.84 | 9.92 | 19.46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.08 | 20.06 | 21.59 | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.75 | 21.66 | 21.82 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 111 Mongolia 23.09 compare
- 112 Belarus 22.87 compare
- 113 Norway 22.28 compare
- 115 Afghanistan 21.81 compare
- 116 North Korea 21.72 compare
- 117 Switzerland 21.7 compare
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,152 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.4769 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.1279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1293 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child adolescent obesity in South Africa?
- Child adolescent obesity in South Africa was 21.82 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child adolescent obesity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21.82 in 2024.
- What is the lowest child adolescent obesity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.25 in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for child adolescent obesity?
- South Africa ranks 114th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child adolescent obesity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Child adolescent obesity. 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).