Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya
Kenya: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 3.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya, 1993–2022
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 3.4% for prevalence of overweight, weight for height in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of down 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya peaked at 8.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 2022.
Kenya ranks 63rd of 93 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 5.8% | — |
| 1994 | 5.1% | -12.1% |
| 1998 | 7.5% | +47.1% |
| 2000 | 8.1% | +8.0% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | -28.4% |
| 2005 | 7.9% | +36.2% |
| 2008 | 5.0% | -36.7% |
| 2014 | 4.1% | -18.0% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +41.5% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | -41.4% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 3.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 85% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 3.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.9%, 1.2× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.1% | 5.1% | 7.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.7% | 5.0% | 8.1% | 4 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 4.1% | 5.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 60 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 3.8% compare
- 61 Tanzania, United Republic of 3.7% compare
- 62 India 3.5% compare
- 63 Côte d'Ivoire 3.4% compare
- 63 Uganda 3.4% compare
- 66 Guinea 3.3% compare
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Kenya was 3.4% in 2022, according to UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'.
- What is the highest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 2022.
- How does Kenya rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Kenya ranks 63rd out of 93 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children', published as part of Prevalence of overweight, weight for height (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of overweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations above the median for the international reference population of the corresponding age as established by the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.