Prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya
Kenya: Prevalence of obesity, female was 16.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 16.8% 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 2.8% on the previous year and up 36.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya peaked at 16.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1980.
That places Kenya 149th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.0% | — |
| 1981 | 2.1% | +5.0% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 2.3% | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | +5.6% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 2.7% | +5.4% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | +5.6% |
| 1989 | 3.2% | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 3.6% | +5.6% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 4.0% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 4.3% | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 4.5% | +5.9% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 5.1% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 5.8% | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 6.2% | +6.6% |
| 2001 | 6.6% | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 7.0% | +6.3% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 7.8% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 8.7% | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | +5.1% |
| 2008 | 9.6% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 10.5% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 10.9% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 12.3% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 12.8% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 13.3% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 15.1% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 15.9% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 16.4% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 16.8% | +2.8% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 16.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 70% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 16.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.5% | 3.4% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 6.2% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 10.5% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 15.1% | 16.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More gender data for Kenya
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 21,579 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.8794 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 41,524 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 41,524 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.3 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 740,912 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 751,960 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 725,839 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 736,424 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 712,907 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Kenya was 16.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1980.
- How does Kenya rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Kenya ranks 149th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya 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.