Prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prevalence of obesity, female was 18.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria stood at 18.9%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 54.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria peaked at 18.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1980.
That places Nigeria 134th out of 196 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.2% | — |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +5.0% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 2.5% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 2.7% | +5.5% |
| 1985 | 2.8% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 3.0% | +5.7% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 3.3% | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 3.5% | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | +5.7% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +5.7% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 4.4% | +5.8% |
| 1994 | 4.7% | +6.2% |
| 1995 | 4.9% | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 5.2% | +6.3% |
| 1997 | 5.6% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 5.9% | +6.5% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 6.7% | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 7.1% | +6.1% |
| 2002 | 7.5% | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 7.9% | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 8.3% | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 9.5% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 9.9% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 11.0% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 11.3% | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 11.8% | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 12.8% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 13.3% | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 13.9% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 14.6% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 15.2% | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 15.9% | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 16.6% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 18.9% | +4.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 18.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 79% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 18.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.8% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 3.7% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.5% | 6.7% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.7% | 10.6% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 15.9% | 18.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More gender data for Nigeria
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 99,803 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6887 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 162,578 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 162,578 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.75 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 3.55 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 3.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 3.45 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 3.54 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 3.38 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Nigeria was 18.9% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 18.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1980.
- How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Nigeria ranks 134th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.