Prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Prevalence of hypertension was 35.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1990–2019
Source: World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of adults ages 30-79.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 35.6% for prevalence of hypertension in 2019.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 37.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 34.7%, in 1990.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 20th out of 43 groups with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of adults ages 30-79 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 34.7% | — |
| 1991 | 34.7% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 34.8% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 34.9% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 34.9% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 35.0% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 35.1% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 35.2% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 35.4% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 35.5% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 35.7% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 35.9% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 36.2% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 36.4% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 36.7% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 36.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 37.1% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 37.3% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 37.4% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 37.4% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 37.3% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 37.2% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 37.1% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 36.9% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 36.7% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 36.5% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 36.3% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 35.9% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 35.6% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.0% | 34.7% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.7% | 35.7% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.6% | 35.6% | 37.3% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Prevalence of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 35.6% in 2019, according to World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of hypertension recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 37.4% in 2009.
- What is the lowest prevalence of hypertension recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.7% in 1990.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for prevalence of hypertension?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 20th out of 43 groups with data for 2019.
- Is prevalence of hypertension rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization's Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as part of Prevalence of hypertension (% of adults ages 30-79). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Prevalence of hypertension is the percentage of adults ages 30-79 with hypertension (defined as having systolic blood pressure =140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure =90 mmHg, or taking medication for hypertension). The data is age-standardized.