Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese was 17.3% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia, 1975–2014
Source: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2014, share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia stood at 17.3%. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia peaked at 21.2% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 2014.
Ethiopia ranks 7th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 21.2% | — |
| 1976 | 21.1% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 21.0% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 20.9% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 20.8% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 20.7% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 20.6% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 20.5% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 20.5% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 20.4% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 20.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 20.1% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 20.0% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 20.0% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 19.9% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 19.8% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 19.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 19.6% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 19.6% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 19.4% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 19.4% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 19.3% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 19.0% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 18.9% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 18.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 18.7% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 18.5% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 18.4% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 18.1% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 17.9% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 17.7% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 17.5% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 17.3% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 21.0% | 20.8% | 21.2% | 5 |
| 1980s | 20.3% | 20.0% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.6% | 19.3% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 18.2% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 17.3% | 18.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More health data for Ethiopia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9494 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 744.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 19,997 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 148 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % 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 0.0709 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.36 % 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 share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia?
- Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Ethiopia was 17.3% in 2014, according to NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2% in 1975.
- What is the lowest share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 2014.
- How does Ethiopia rank for share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese?
- Ethiopia ranks 7th out of 198 countries with data for 2014.
- Is share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of women (% of adult population), who are underweight, healthy/normal, overweight or obese based on body mass index (BMI). Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight divided by their height squared. The WHO define a BMI <=18.5 as underweight; 18.6 to 25.0 as normal/healthy; 25.1 to 30 as overweight; and >30.0 as obese.