Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Malawi
Malawi: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita was 6.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Malawi stood at 6.7%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 65.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Malawi peaked at 6.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1980.
Malawi ranks 186th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 1.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 183 South Korea 7.5% compare
- 184 Sierra Leone 7.3% compare
- 185 Burkina Faso 7.0% compare
- 187 Chad 6.3% compare
- 188 Niger 6.0% compare
- 189 Democratic Republic of Congo 5.9% compare
More health data for Malawi
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 193,780 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 198,476 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 200,046 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 204,753 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 207,829 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 212,512 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Malawi?
- Share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Malawi was 6.7% in 2024, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1980.
- How does Malawi rank for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
- Malawi ranks 186th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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 Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita. 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).
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.