Share of women who are overweight or obese in Cameroon
Cameroon: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 49.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Cameroon, 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 overweight or obese in Cameroon stood at 49.1%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Cameroon peaked at 49.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 1980.
That places Cameroon 121st out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 12.7% | — |
| 1981 | 13.2% | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 13.8% | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 14.4% | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 15.0% | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 15.6% | +4.3% |
| 1986 | 16.3% | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 17.0% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 17.7% | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 18.5% | +4.3% |
| 1990 | 19.3% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 20.1% | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 20.9% | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | +4.2% |
| 1994 | 22.7% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 23.6% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 24.6% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 25.7% | +4.3% |
| 1998 | 26.8% | +4.3% |
| 1999 | 28.0% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 29.1% | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 30.3% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 31.5% | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 32.7% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 33.8% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 34.9% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 35.9% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 36.8% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 37.7% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 38.4% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 39.1% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 39.8% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 40.5% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 41.1% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 41.8% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 42.5% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 43.2% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 43.9% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 44.6% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 46.1% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 46.9% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 47.6% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 48.4% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 49.1% | +1.5% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 49.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.3%, 92% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 49.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.4% | 12.7% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.3% | 19.3% | 28.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 34.1% | 29.1% | 38.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.2% | 39.1% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.6% | 46.1% | 49.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More gender data for Cameroon
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 13,337 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.53 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 20,440 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 20,440 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.01 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 465,137 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 475,018 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 453,098 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 461,925 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 443,236 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Cameroon?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Cameroon was 49.1% 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 Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 1980.
- How does Cameroon rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Cameroon ranks 121st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon 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
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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.