Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Zambia

Zambia: Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita was 10.1% in 2024. β—† Volatile

Latest (2024)
10.1%
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
171st
of 199 countries
All-time high
10.1%
in 2024
All-time low
1.3%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita in Zambia, 1980–2024

2468101980200220241980: 1.3 %1981: 1.3 %1982: 1.3 %1983: 1.4 %1984: 1.4 %1985: 1.5 %1986: 1.5 %1987: 1.6 %1988: 1.6 %1989: 1.7 %1990: 1.8 %1991: 1.8 %1992: 1.9 %1993: 2 %1994: 2.1 %1995: 2.2 %1996: 2.3 %1997: 2.4 %1998: 2.6 %1999: 2.7 %2000: 2.9 %2001: 3 %2002: 3.2 %2003: 3.4 %2004: 3.6 %2005: 3.8 %2006: 4 %2007: 4.2 %2008: 4.5 %2009: 4.7 %2010: 5 %2011: 5.2 %2012: 5.5 %2013: 5.8 %2014: 6.1 %2015: 6.4 %2016: 6.8 %2017: 7.1 %2018: 7.5 %2019: 7.9 %2020: 8.3 %2021: 8.7 %2022: 9.1 %2023: 9.6 %2024: 10.1 %

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 Zambia stood at 10.1%. 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 64.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Zambia peaked at 10.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 1980.

Zambia ranks 171st 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.5% 1.3% 1.7% 10
1990s 2.2% 1.8% 2.7% 10
2000s 3.7% 2.9% 4.7% 10
2010s 6.3% 5.0% 7.9% 10
2020s 9.2% 8.3% 10.1% 5

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 168 Tanzania 10.5% compare
  2. 169 Kenya 10.4% compare
  3. 170 Senegal 10.3% compare
  4. 172 Philippines 9.7% compare
  5. 173 Guinea 9.4% compare
  6. 174 Mozambique 9.4% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places β†’

More health data for Zambia

All data for Zambia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Zambia?
Share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita in Zambia was 10.1% 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 Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 1980.
How does Zambia rank for share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita?
Zambia ranks 171st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of adults who are obese vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is up 64.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Zambia 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 Β· JSON β€” 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of adults who are obese vs. GDP per capita
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) β‰₯ 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.