Share of women who are overweight or obese in Botswana
Botswana: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 57.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Botswana, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Botswana recorded 57.6% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Botswana peaked at 57.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 18.4%, in 1980.
Botswana ranks 94th 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 overweight or obese in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 18.4% | — |
| 1981 | 19.1% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 19.8% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 20.6% | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 21.4% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 22.2% | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 23.0% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 23.9% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 24.8% | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 25.7% | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 26.6% | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 27.6% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 28.6% | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 29.6% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 30.6% | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 31.6% | +3.4% |
| 1996 | 32.7% | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 33.8% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 34.9% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 36.0% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 37.1% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 38.2% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 39.4% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 40.5% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 41.5% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 43.5% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 44.4% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 45.3% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 46.1% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 46.9% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 47.6% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 48.4% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 49.1% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 49.9% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 50.7% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 51.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 52.3% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 53.0% | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 53.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 54.6% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 55.3% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 56.1% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 56.9% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 57.6% | +1.3% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 57.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64.5%, 89% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 57.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21.9% | 18.4% | 25.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.2% | 26.6% | 36.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.9% | 37.1% | 46.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.3% | 46.9% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.1% | 54.6% | 57.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More gender data for Botswana
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 855.49 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6449 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1,910 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1,910 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 29,466 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,240 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,267 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,023 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,174 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Botswana?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Botswana was 57.6% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 57.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.4% in 1980.
- How does Botswana rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Botswana ranks 94th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Botswana 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 overweight or obese. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
A person is defined as overweight if they have a body-mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 25. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his height in meters squared.