Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi

Malawi: Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) was 26.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
26.1%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
184th
of 198 countries
All-time high
26.1%
in 2024
All-time low
6.8%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi, 1980–2024

5101520251980200220241980: 6.81981: 71982: 7.21983: 7.41984: 7.61985: 7.91986: 8.11987: 8.41988: 8.61989: 8.91990: 9.21991: 9.51992: 9.81993: 10.11994: 10.41995: 10.81996: 11.21997: 11.51998: 121999: 12.42000: 12.82001: 13.32002: 13.82003: 14.32004: 14.82005: 15.32006: 15.82007: 16.32008: 16.82009: 17.32010: 17.82011: 18.32012: 18.92013: 19.42014: 202015: 20.52016: 21.12017: 21.72018: 22.32019: 232020: 23.62021: 24.22022: 24.82023: 25.52024: 26.1

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi is 26.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi peaked at 26.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1980.

That places Malawi 184th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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 Malawi, year by year

Annual values for Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) (%) in Malawi, 1980 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1980 6.8%
1981 7.0% +2.9%
1982 7.2% +2.9%
1983 7.4% +3.0%
1984 7.6% +3.0%
1985 7.9% +3.1%
1986 8.1% +3.1%
1987 8.4% +3.1%
1988 8.6% +3.2%
1989 8.9% +3.2%
1990 9.2% +3.2%
1991 9.5% +3.3%
1992 9.8% +3.2%
1993 10.1% +3.3%
1994 10.4% +3.3%
1995 10.8% +3.3%
1996 11.2% +3.4%
1997 11.5% +3.5%
1998 12.0% +3.6%
1999 12.4% +3.6%
2000 12.8% +3.6%
2001 13.3% +3.6%
2002 13.8% +3.6%
2003 14.3% +3.6%
2004 14.8% +3.5%
2005 15.3% +3.4%
2006 15.8% +3.3%
2007 16.3% +3.2%
2008 16.8% +3.1%
2009 17.3% +3.0%
2010 17.8% +2.9%
2011 18.3% +2.9%
2012 18.9% +2.9%
2013 19.4% +2.9%
2014 20.0% +2.9%
2015 20.5% +2.9%
2016 21.1% +2.9%
2017 21.7% +2.8%
2018 22.3% +2.8%
2019 23.0% +2.8%
2020 23.6% +2.7%
2021 24.2% +2.7%
2022 24.8% +2.6%
2023 25.5% +2.6%
2024 26.1% +2.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 7.8% 6.8% 8.9% 10
1990s 10.7% 9.2% 12.4% 10
2000s 15.0% 12.8% 17.3% 10
2010s 20.3% 17.8% 23.0% 10
2020s 24.8% 23.6% 26.1% 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 181 Central African Republic 26.7% compare
  2. 182 Cambodia 26.6% compare
  3. 183 Uganda 26.6% compare
  4. 185 Sierra Leone 25.3% compare
  5. 186 South Sudan 25.1% compare
  6. 187 Japan 24.4% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More health data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi?
Overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi was 26.1% 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 Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 2024.
What is the lowest overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1980.
How does Malawi rank for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate)?
Malawi ranks 184th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
Is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malawi 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.

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Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/overweight-among-adults-bmi-25-kg-m2-age-standardized-estimate-percent/malawi/

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About this data

Indicator
Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) (%)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
211 places, 9,495 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed