Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) was 32.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
32.3%
Change on year
up 1.7%
Rank
10th
of 11 groups
All-time high
32.3%
in 2024
All-time low
10.1%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region), 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Africa (WHO region) recorded 32.3% for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 32.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.1%, in 1980.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.1% | — |
| 1981 | 10.4% | +3.4% |
| 1982 | 10.8% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 11.2% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 11.5% | +3.5% |
| 1985 | 11.9% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 12.3% | +3.4% |
| 1987 | 12.8% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 13.2% | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 13.6% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 14.1% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 14.5% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 15.0% | +3.2% |
| 1993 | 15.5% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 16.0% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 16.5% | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 17.6% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 18.2% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 18.8% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 19.4% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 20.7% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 21.3% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 22.0% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 22.6% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 23.2% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 23.8% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 24.3% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 25.3% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 25.8% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 26.2% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 26.7% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 27.2% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 27.7% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 28.1% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 28.6% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 29.1% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 29.7% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 30.2% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 30.7% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 31.2% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 31.7% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 32.3% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.8% | 10.1% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 14.1% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.2% | 19.4% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 25.3% | 29.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.2% | 30.2% | 32.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1,654 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -0.0365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region)?
- Overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Africa (WHO region) was 32.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 32.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.1% in 1980.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate)?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 10th out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized 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).