Obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa
South Africa: Obesity in men vs obesity in women was 14.51 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
14.51
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
129th
of 199 countries
All-time high
14.56
in 2011
All-time low
2.37
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 14.51 for obesity in men vs obesity in women in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa peaked at 14.56 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.37, in 1980.
That places South Africa 129th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.37 | — |
| 1981 | 2.57 | +8.5% |
| 1982 | 2.79 | +8.6% |
| 1983 | 3.04 | +8.7% |
| 1984 | 3.3 | +8.7% |
| 1985 | 3.59 | +8.7% |
| 1986 | 3.9 | +8.7% |
| 1987 | 4.23 | +8.7% |
| 1988 | 4.6 | +8.6% |
| 1989 | 4.99 | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 5.41 | +8.4% |
| 1991 | 5.85 | +8.2% |
| 1992 | 6.32 | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 6.8 | +7.7% |
| 1994 | 7.31 | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 7.83 | +7.2% |
| 1996 | 8.37 | +6.9% |
| 1997 | 8.92 | +6.6% |
| 1998 | 9.48 | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 10.04 | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 10.6 | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 11.16 | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 11.7 | +4.9% |
| 2003 | 12.22 | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 12.73 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 13.2 | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 13.62 | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 13.98 | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 14.26 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 14.44 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 14.53 | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 14.56 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 14.54 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 14.48 | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 14.41 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 14.35 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 14.31 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 14.27 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 14.26 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 14.26 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 14.29 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 14.32 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 14.38 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 14.44 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 14.51 | +0.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 14.51 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 20.66, 70% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 14.51 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.34, 2.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.54 | 2.37 | 4.99 | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.63 | 5.41 | 10.04 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.79 | 10.6 | 14.44 | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.4 | 14.26 | 14.56 | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.39 | 14.29 | 14.51 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 126 Denmark 15.46 compare
- 127 Eswatini 15.02 compare
- 128 Afghanistan 14.62 compare
- 130 Italy 14.49 compare
- 131 Netherlands 14.21 compare
- 132 Switzerland 13.59 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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 3,333 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5504 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.045 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.0003 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.046 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa?
- Obesity in men vs obesity in women in South Africa was 14.51 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest obesity in men vs obesity in women recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.56 in 2011.
- What is the lowest obesity in men vs obesity in women recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.37 in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for obesity in men vs obesity in women?
- South Africa ranks 129th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is obesity in men vs obesity in women rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Obesity in men vs obesity in women. 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).