Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) in Namibia
Namibia: Prevalence of overweight (% of adults) was 36.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of overweight in Namibia, 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 Namibia is 36.5%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight in Namibia peaked at 36.5% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17.7%, in 1990.
Namibia ranks 152nd 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | % of adults | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.7% | — |
| 1991 | 18.4% | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 19.1% | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 19.8% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 20.4% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 21.2% | +3.5% |
| 1996 | 21.9% | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 22.6% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 23.4% | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 24.2% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 24.9% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 25.7% | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 26.4% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 27.2% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 27.9% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 28.6% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 29.2% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 29.9% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 30.4% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 30.9% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 31.4% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 32.3% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 32.7% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 33.1% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 33.5% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 34.3% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 34.7% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 35.2% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 35.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 36.0% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 36.5% | +1.3% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 36.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 39.5%, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 36.5% 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 | 20.9% | 17.7% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.1% | 24.9% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.3% | 31.4% | 35.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 35.6% | 36.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 149 Yemen 37.3% compare
- 150 North Korea 37.0% compare
- 151 Ghana 36.7% compare
- 153 South Korea 35.9% compare
- 154 Philippines 35.0% compare
- 155 Somalia 34.9% compare
More health data for Namibia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.75 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6445 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 561 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.83 % 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 0.0644 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.56 % 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 0.0646 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight in Namibia?
- Prevalence of overweight in Namibia was 36.5% 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 36.5% in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.7% in 1990.
- How does Namibia rank for prevalence of overweight?
- Namibia ranks 152nd out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.