Prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon
Cameroon: Prevalence of obesity, female was 22.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
Cameroon recorded 22.4% for prevalence of obesity, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 34.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon peaked at 22.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 1980.
Cameroon ranks 113th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.5% | — |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | +6.5% |
| 1983 | 3.0% | +6.8% |
| 1984 | 3.2% | +6.4% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | +6.6% |
| 1986 | 3.6% | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 3.8% | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 4.1% | +6.8% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | +6.6% |
| 1990 | 4.7% | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 5.0% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +6.6% |
| 1993 | 5.7% | +7.0% |
| 1994 | 6.1% | +6.9% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | +6.9% |
| 1996 | 7.0% | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 7.5% | +7.2% |
| 1998 | 8.0% | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 9.2% | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | +7.0% |
| 2002 | 10.5% | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 11.1% | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 12.4% | +5.2% |
| 2006 | 13.0% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 13.5% | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 14.5% | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 14.9% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 15.4% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 15.8% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 16.7% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 17.7% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 18.8% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 19.4% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 19.9% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 20.5% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 21.1% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 21.8% | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 22.4% | +2.9% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 22.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 93% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 22.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.3% | 2.5% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.4% | 4.7% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 9.2% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 14.9% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.1% | 19.9% | 22.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More gender data for Cameroon
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 13,337 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.53 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 20,440 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 20,440 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.01 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 465,137 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 475,018 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 453,098 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 461,925 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 443,236 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Cameroon was 22.4% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 1980.
- How does Cameroon rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Cameroon ranks 113th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.