Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese was 9.4% in 2014. ▼ Falling
Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 9.4%. That is the lowest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Nigeria peaked at 16.9% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 2014.
That places Nigeria 43rd 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 16.9% | — |
| 1976 | 16.8% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 16.6% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 16.4% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 16.2% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 16.1% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 15.7% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 15.6% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 15.4% | -1.3% |
| 1985 | 15.2% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 15.0% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 14.8% | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 14.7% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 14.6% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 14.4% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 14.3% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 14.1% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 14.0% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 13.6% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 13.5% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 13.3% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 12.7% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 12.5% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 12.2% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 11.1% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 10.8% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 9.8% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 9.6% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.4% | -2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.6% | 16.2% | 16.9% | 5 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 14.7% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.9% | 13.1% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 10.6% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.8% | 9.4% | 10.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 14 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.14 % 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 0.0711 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.17 % 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 Nigeria?
- Share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese in Nigeria was 9.4% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 1975.
- What is the lowest share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 2014.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese?
- Nigeria ranks 43rd out of 198 countries with data for 2014.
- Is share of women defined as underweight, healthy, overweight or obese rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.