Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania
Tanzania: Prevalence of overweight, weight for height was 3.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania, 1991–2022
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
The most recent figure for prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania is 3.7%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 21.3% on the previous year and down 27.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania peaked at 5.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2018.
That places Tanzania 61st out of 93 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.8% | — |
| 1996 | 4.6% | -20.7% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | -28.3% |
| 2004 | 4.9% | +48.5% |
| 2009 | 4.7% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 5.4% | +14.9% |
| 2011 | 5.1% | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 5.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | -31.4% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -24.3% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +67.9% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -21.3% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 3.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 92% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 3.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.9%, 1.3× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.6% | 3.3% | 5.8% | 3 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 2.8% | 5.4% | 6 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 58 Haiti 3.9% compare
- 58 Philippines 3.9% compare
- 60 Democratic Republic of Congo 3.8% compare
- 62 India 3.5% compare
- 63 Cote d'Ivoire 3.4% compare
- 63 Kenya 3.4% compare
- 63 Uganda 3.4% compare
More health data for Tanzania
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7342 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 658.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 32,514 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 13 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.86 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0786 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania?
- Prevalence of overweight, weight for height in Tanzania was 3.7% 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest prevalence of overweight, weight for height recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2018.
- How does Tanzania rank for prevalence of overweight, weight for height?
- Tanzania ranks 61st out of 93 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of overweight, weight for height rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.