Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Share of women who are obese
Saudi Arabia
46.7%
in 2024
South Africa
47.5%
in 2024
Saudi Arabia rank
27th
South Africa rank
25th
Share of women who are obese over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 47.5% against 46.7% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 25th of 199 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.8% | 21.6% | 3.3% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 31.2% | 28.1% | 3.1% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 38.5% | 35.4% | 3.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 44.0% | 41.7% | 2.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 46.3% | 46.3% | 0.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of women who are obese, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 47.5% against 46.7% in Saudi Arabia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of women who are obese between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 0.8%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for share of women who are obese?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 25th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of women who are obese. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.