Prevalence of obesity, male in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prevalence of obesity, male was 8.5% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of obesity, male in Nigeria, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository. Measured in % of male population ages 18+.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 8.5% for prevalence of obesity, male in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 30.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of obesity, male in Nigeria peaked at 8.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1980.
Nigeria ranks 149th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of obesity, male in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of male population ages 18+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.3% | — |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +9.4% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +11.4% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +12.8% |
| 1984 | 0.5% | +11.4% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +10.2% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +13.0% |
| 1987 | 0.7% | +11.5% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | +11.8% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +11.8% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | +12.9% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | +12.5% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | +12.0% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +12.4% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +12.5% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | +12.4% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | +11.6% |
| 1997 | 2.1% | +12.0% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | +11.2% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | +11.3% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | +10.9% |
| 2001 | 3.3% | +10.5% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | +9.8% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | +8.4% |
| 2005 | 4.6% | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | +7.0% |
| 2007 | 5.2% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 5.5% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 6.0% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 6.1% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 6.3% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 6.4% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 6.5% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 7.5% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 7.7% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 8.0% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 8.2% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | +3.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.5%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.3%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.4% | 3.0% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.6% | 6.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.0% | 7.5% | 8.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 146 Mali 9.0% compare
- 147 Cape Verde 8.8% compare
- 148 Botswana 8.7% compare
- 150 Equatorial Guinea 8.5% compare
- 151 Cote d'Ivoire 8.2% compare
- 152 Comoros 8.1% compare
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, male in Nigeria?
- Prevalence of obesity, male in Nigeria was 8.5% in 2024, according to World Health Organization (WHO): Global Health Observatory Data Repository.
- What is the highest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of obesity, male recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1980.
- How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of obesity, male?
- Nigeria ranks 149th out of 196 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of obesity, male rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.1%. 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, male (% of male 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.