Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa
South Africa: Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) was 55.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
55.2%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
119th
of 198 countries
All-time high
55.2%
in 2024
All-time low
27.7%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa is 55.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa peaked at 55.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 1980.
South Africa ranks 119th of 198 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 27.7% | — |
| 1981 | 28.3% | +2.3% |
| 1982 | 29.0% | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 31.2% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 32.0% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 32.7% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 33.5% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 34.3% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 36.0% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 37.0% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 37.8% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 38.8% | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 40.0% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 41.1% | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 42.1% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 42.9% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 43.7% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 44.5% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 45.2% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 45.8% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 46.4% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 47.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 48.2% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 48.7% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 49.2% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 49.7% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 50.1% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 50.5% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 50.8% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 51.2% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 51.7% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 52.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 52.6% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 53.0% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 53.4% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 53.8% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 54.2% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 54.5% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 54.8% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 55.2% | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 55.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 63.3%, 87% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 55.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 31.2%, 1.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30.9% | 27.7% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.5% | 35.2% | 43.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.2% | 44.5% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.7% | 50.1% | 53.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.5% | 53.8% | 55.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa?
- Overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) in South Africa was 55.2% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 55.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate)?
- South Africa ranks 119th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight among adults, bmi ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude estimate) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (crude 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).