Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in Ghana
Ghana: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 36.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in Ghana, 1990–2022
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/). Measured in % of adults.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight in Ghana is 36.7%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in Ghana peaked at 36.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 1990.
Ghana ranks 151st of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.6% | — |
| 1991 | 13.3% | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 14.0% | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 14.7% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 15.5% | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 17.2% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +5.2% |
| 1998 | 19.0% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 20.0% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 21.0% | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 23.0% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 24.1% | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 25.1% | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 26.0% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 27.8% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 28.6% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 29.4% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 30.0% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 31.2% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 31.7% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 32.2% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 32.8% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 33.3% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 33.9% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 34.4% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 35.0% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 35.5% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 36.1% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 36.7% | +1.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 36.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 39.5%, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 36.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.8%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.1% | 12.6% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 21.0% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.5% | 30.0% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 35.5% | 36.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 148 China 37.5% compare
- 149 Yemen 37.3% compare
- 150 North Korea 37.0% compare
- 152 Namibia 36.5% compare
- 153 South Korea 35.9% compare
- 154 Philippines 35.0% compare
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,361 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5623 % 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 0.06 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0619 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in Ghana?
- Prevalence of overweight in Ghana was 36.7% in 2022, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 36.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 1990.
- How does Ghana rank for prevalence of overweight?
- Ghana ranks 151st out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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 (% of adults). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of overweight adults is the percentage of adults 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.