Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa
South Africa: Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard was 20.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
20.3%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
130th
of 198 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 2024
All-time low
1.8%
in 1980
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa is 20.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa peaked at 20.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1980.
That places South Africa 130th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.8% | — |
| 1981 | 1.9% | +5.6% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 2.2% | +6.1% |
| 1984 | 2.3% | +6.4% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | +6.7% |
| 1986 | 2.6% | +7.0% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | +7.3% |
| 1988 | 3.1% | +7.6% |
| 1989 | 3.3% | +7.8% |
| 1990 | 3.6% | +8.1% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +8.3% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 4.6% | +8.8% |
| 1994 | 5.0% | +9.1% |
| 1995 | 5.4% | +9.4% |
| 1996 | 6.0% | +9.7% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | +10.0% |
| 1998 | 7.2% | +10.3% |
| 1999 | 8.0% | +10.4% |
| 2000 | 8.8% | +10.5% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | +10.6% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 11.9% | +10.1% |
| 2004 | 13.0% | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | +8.7% |
| 2006 | 15.2% | +7.8% |
| 2007 | 16.3% | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 17.2% | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 18.5% | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 19.3% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 19.6% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 19.7% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 19.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 19.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 20.0% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 20.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 20.1% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 20.2% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 20.2% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 20.2% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 20.3% | +0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 20.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 31.3%, 65% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 20.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.3%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.5% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 3.6% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.5% | 8.8% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 18.5% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.2% | 20.1% | 20.3% | 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 children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa?
- Overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard in South Africa was 20.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard?
- South Africa ranks 130th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age > +1 standard rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard deviations above the median (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).