Prevalence of obesity, female in Rwanda
Rwanda: Prevalence of obesity, female was 8.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, female in Rwanda, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of female population ages 18+.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 8.8% for prevalence of obesity, female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 5.9% on the previous year and up 89.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, female in Rwanda peaked at 8.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1980.
That places Rwanda 183rd 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of female population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.7% | — |
| 1981 | 0.7% | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 0.8% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | +4.3% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | +4.8% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | +5.5% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 1.5% | +6.3% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | +7.4% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +7.4% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +7.8% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | +7.6% |
| 2012 | 4.0% | +7.9% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 5.0% | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 5.7% | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 6.1% | +6.8% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 6.9% | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 7.8% | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 8.3% | +6.0% |
| 2024 | 8.8% | +5.9% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 8.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 14.1%, 62% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 8.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 48% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 3.4% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.8% | 6.9% | 8.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 180 Nepal 10.3% compare
- 181 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 9.1% compare
- 182 Switzerland 9.0% compare
- 184 Niger 8.7% compare
- 185 Bangladesh 8.6% compare
- 186 China 8.4% compare
More gender data for Rwanda
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 5,716 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.9861 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 10,439 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 10,439 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.5 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 194,446 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 198,438 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 191,100 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 194,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 188,797 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of obesity, female in Rwanda?
- Prevalence of obesity, female in Rwanda was 8.8% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO):Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 8.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, female recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1980.
- How does Rwanda rank for prevalence of obesity, female?
- Rwanda ranks 183rd out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, female rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 89.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.