Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Kenya
Kenya: Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese was 9.9% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Kenya, 1975–2014
Source: NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (2017) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 9.9% for share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in 2014. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Kenya peaked at 17.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 9.9%, in 2014.
That places Kenya 39th out of 198 countries with data for 2014, putting it in the top quarter.
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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 17.1% | — |
| 1976 | 16.9% | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 16.7% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 16.5% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 16.3% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 16.1% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 15.7% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 15.5% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 15.4% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 15.2% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 15.0% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 14.8% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 14.6% | -1.4% |
| 1989 | 14.4% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 14.2% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 14.0% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 13.9% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 13.7% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 13.5% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 13.3% | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 13.2% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 13.0% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 12.8% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 12.5% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 12.3% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 12.1% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 11.3% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 11.1% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 10.9% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 10.1% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 9.9% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.7% | 16.3% | 17.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 14.4% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.4% | 12.7% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.7% | 10.9% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.3% | 9.9% | 10.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
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 share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Kenya?
- Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Kenya was 9.9% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9% in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese?
- Kenya ranks 39th out of 198 countries with data for 2014.
- Is share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.
Download this data
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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.