Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) was 11.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
11.3%
Change on year
up 3.1%
Rank
8th
of 11 groups
All-time high
11.3%
in 2024
All-time low
2.0%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region), 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Africa (WHO region) recorded 11.3% for obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 35.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 11.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1980.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.0% | — |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 2.3% | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 2.4% | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 2.6% | +4.6% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 3.0% | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 3.5% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 3.8% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | +4.7% |
| 1996 | 4.2% | +4.9% |
| 1997 | 4.4% | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | +4.9% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 5.1% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 6.0% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 6.3% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 6.8% | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 7.0% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 7.5% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 8.4% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 8.9% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 10.3% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 10.7% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 11.0% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 11.3% | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.2% | 5.1% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.5% | 7.5% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.7% | 10.0% | 11.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1,654 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -0.0365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region)?
- Obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in Africa (WHO region) was 11.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 11.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1980.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate)?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 8th out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is obesity among adults, bmi ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).