Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Obesity in men vs. women was 14.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
14.6%
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
128th
of 199 countries
All-time high
14.6%
in 2024
All-time low
0.9%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan, 1980–2024

0510151980200220241980: 0.891 %1981: 0.948 %1982: 1 %1983: 1.1 %1984: 1.2 %1985: 1.2 %1986: 1.3 %1987: 1.4 %1988: 1.5 %1989: 1.6 %1990: 1.8 %1991: 1.9 %1992: 2 %1993: 2.2 %1994: 2.4 %1995: 2.6 %1996: 2.8 %1997: 3 %1998: 3.2 %1999: 3.5 %2000: 3.7 %2001: 4 %2002: 4.4 %2003: 4.7 %2004: 5 %2005: 5.4 %2006: 5.8 %2007: 6.2 %2008: 6.6 %2009: 7 %2010: 7.4 %2011: 7.8 %2012: 8.3 %2013: 8.7 %2014: 9.2 %2015: 9.7 %2016: 10.2 %2017: 10.7 %2018: 11.2 %2019: 11.8 %2020: 12.3 %2021: 12.9 %2022: 13.4 %2023: 14 %2024: 14.6 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Afghanistan recorded 14.6% for obesity in men vs. women in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 59.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan peaked at 14.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1980.

Afghanistan ranks 128th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan, 1980 to 2024.
Year % Change
1980 0.9%
1981 0.9% +6.4%
1982 1.0% +6.6%
1983 1.1% +6.8%
1984 1.2% +7.0%
1985 1.2% +7.1%
1986 1.3% +7.2%
1987 1.4% +7.3%
1988 1.5% +7.4%
1989 1.6% +7.5%
1990 1.8% +7.5%
1991 1.9% +7.6%
1992 2.0% +7.6%
1993 2.2% +7.7%
1994 2.4% +7.7%
1995 2.6% +7.8%
1996 2.8% +7.9%
1997 3.0% +7.9%
1998 3.2% +8.0%
1999 3.5% +8.0%
2000 3.7% +8.0%
2001 4.0% +7.9%
2002 4.4% +7.8%
2003 4.7% +7.6%
2004 5.0% +7.4%
2005 5.4% +7.2%
2006 5.8% +7.0%
2007 6.2% +6.8%
2008 6.6% +6.5%
2009 7.0% +6.3%
2010 7.4% +6.0%
2011 7.8% +5.8%
2012 8.3% +5.6%
2013 8.7% +5.5%
2014 9.2% +5.4%
2015 9.7% +5.3%
2016 10.2% +5.3%
2017 10.7% +5.1%
2018 11.2% +4.9%
2019 11.8% +4.8%
2020 12.3% +4.6%
2021 12.9% +4.5%
2022 13.4% +4.4%
2023 14.0% +4.3%
2024 14.6% +4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.2% 0.9% 1.6% 10
1990s 2.5% 1.8% 3.5% 10
2000s 5.3% 3.7% 7.0% 10
2010s 9.5% 7.4% 11.8% 10
2020s 13.5% 12.3% 14.6% 5

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 125 Algeria 15.6% compare
  2. 126 Denmark 15.5% compare
  3. 127 Eswatini 15.0% compare
  4. 129 South Africa 14.5% compare
  5. 130 Italy 14.5% compare
  6. 131 Netherlands 14.2% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More health data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan?
Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan was 14.6% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest obesity in men vs. women recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2024.
What is the lowest obesity in men vs. women recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1980.
How does Afghanistan rank for obesity in men vs. women?
Afghanistan ranks 128th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is obesity in men vs. women rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is up 59.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Afghanistan 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 Obesity in men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Obesity in men vs. women in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/obesity-in-men-vs-obesity-in-women/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Obesity in men vs. women
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 8,955 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed

Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.