Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi
Malawi: Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard was 1.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
1.1%
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
196th
of 198 countries
All-time high
1.1%
in 2024
All-time low
0.3%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi stood at 1.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.4% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi peaked at 1.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1980.
Malawi ranks 196th of 198 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.3% | — |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +1.2% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | +3.3% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +4.4% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +4.6% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | +4.6% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 193 Uganda 1.5% compare
- 194 Tanzania, United Republic of 1.4% compare
- 195 Burkina Faso 1.1% compare
- 197 Timor-Leste 0.9% compare
- 198 Gambia 0.8% compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0655 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0657 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate 0.5136 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi?
- Obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard in Malawi was 1.1% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1980.
- How does Malawi rank for obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard?
- Malawi ranks 196th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +2 standard rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard deviations above the median (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).