Prevalence of overweight, female (% of female adults) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Prevalence of overweight, female (% of female adults) was 37.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1990–2022
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of female adults.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 37.3%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 37.3% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 1990.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 32nd out of 43 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight, female (% of female adults) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of female adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16.4% | — |
| 1991 | 16.9% | +3.1% |
| 1992 | 17.5% | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 18.0% | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 19.2% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 19.8% | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 20.5% | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 21.2% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 21.9% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 22.6% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 24.1% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 24.8% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 25.5% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 26.3% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 27.6% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 28.3% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 28.9% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 29.5% | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 30.1% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 30.7% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 31.3% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 31.9% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 32.5% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 33.2% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 33.8% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 34.5% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 35.2% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 35.9% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 36.6% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 37.3% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.0% | 16.4% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.8% | 22.6% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.3% | 29.5% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.6% | 35.9% | 37.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 25-29, female, annual growth rate 2.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, male, per capita 0.047 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, male, annual growth rate 3.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per capita 0.0465 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.055 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, annual growth rate 2.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 25-29, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Prevalence of overweight, female in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 37.3% in 2022, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 37.3% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 1990.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for prevalence of overweight, female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 32nd out of 43 groups with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/), published as part of Prevalence of overweight, female (% of female adults). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of overweight female adults is the percentage of females ages 18 and over whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is more than 25 kg/m2. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height, or the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.