France vs South Africa: Share of overweight men vs. women
France
42.5%
in 2024
South Africa
37.6%
in 2024
France rank
138th
South Africa rank
140th
Share of overweight men vs. women over time
- France
- South Africa
How they compare
France currently reports 42.5% against 37.6% in South Africa, a difference of 4.9%.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 45 years both countries report, France has been ahead every year.
France ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 140th of 199 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.2% | 19.7% | 26.5% | France |
| 1990s | 46.7% | 28.4% | 18.3% | France |
| 2000s | 48.2% | 36.4% | 11.9% | France |
| 2010s | 46.5% | 38.4% | 8.0% | France |
| 2020s | 43.3% | 37.7% | 5.6% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of overweight men vs. women, France or South Africa?
- France, at 42.5% against 37.6% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of overweight men vs. women between France and South Africa?
- 4.9%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do France and South Africa rank globally for share of overweight men vs. women?
- France ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 140th 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 overweight men vs. women. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in meters squared.