Share of women who are obese in Lesotho
Lesotho: Share of women who are obese was 36.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are obese in Lesotho, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of women who are obese in Lesotho stood at 36.0%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are obese in Lesotho peaked at 36.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 1980.
Lesotho ranks 60th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are obese in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.9% | — |
| 1981 | 11.1% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 11.4% | +2.2% |
| 1983 | 11.6% | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 11.9% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 12.2% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 12.4% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 12.7% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 13.0% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 13.4% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 13.7% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 14.0% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 14.4% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 15.2% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 15.6% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 16.5% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 17.1% | +3.2% |
| 1999 | 17.6% | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 18.2% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 18.8% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 19.4% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 20.1% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 21.4% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 24.1% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 24.8% | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 25.5% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 26.2% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 27.8% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 28.6% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 29.4% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 30.2% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 31.1% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 31.9% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 32.7% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 33.5% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 34.4% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 35.2% | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 36.0% | +2.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 36.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.9%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 36.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.1%, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.1% | 10.9% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.5% | 13.7% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.1% | 18.2% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.3% | 24.8% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.4% | 32.7% | 36.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 57 Dominican Republic 37.2% compare
- 58 Trinidad and Tobago 36.8% compare
- 59 Georgia 36.1% compare
- 61 Bolivia 35.9% compare
- 62 New Zealand 35.7% compare
- 63 Turkey 35.2% compare
More gender data for Lesotho
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 786.22 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.5717 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,708 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,708 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 26,291 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 26,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 25,880 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 26,319 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 25,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are obese in Lesotho?
- Share of women who are obese in Lesotho was 36.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are obese recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 36.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are obese recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 1980.
- How does Lesotho rank for share of women who are obese?
- Lesotho ranks 60th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are obese rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) equal to, or greater than, 30. BMI is a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by their height (in meters) squared.