Prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana
Botswana: Prevalence of obesity, female was 30.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 30.5% for prevalence of obesity, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 28.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana peaked at 30.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1980.
That places Botswana 75th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.5% | — |
| 1981 | 5.8% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 6.4% | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 6.7% | +5.3% |
| 1985 | 7.1% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 7.4% | +5.2% |
| 1987 | 7.8% | +5.2% |
| 1988 | 8.2% | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 8.7% | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 9.1% | +5.2% |
| 1991 | 9.6% | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 10.1% | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 10.6% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 11.7% | +5.0% |
| 1996 | 12.2% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 12.8% | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 14.2% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 14.8% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 16.2% | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 16.9% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 17.6% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 18.3% | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 18.9% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 19.6% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 20.2% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 20.8% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 21.3% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 21.9% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 22.5% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 23.1% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 23.7% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 24.3% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 25.0% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 25.6% | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 26.3% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 27.0% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 27.7% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 28.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 29.1% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 29.8% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 30.5% | +2.4% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 30.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 32.7%, 93% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 30.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.0% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.5% | 9.1% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 14.8% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 21.3% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 27.7% | 30.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More gender data for Botswana
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 855.49 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6449 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,910 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,910 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 29,466 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,240 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,267 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,023 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,174 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Botswana was 30.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 30.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1980.
- How does Botswana rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Botswana ranks 75th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository, published as part of Prevalence of obesity, female (% of female population ages 18+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of obesity adult is the percentage of adults ages 18 and over whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 kg/m² or higher. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height, or the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.