Share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea
Eritrea: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 16.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Eritrea recorded 16.0% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea peaked at 16.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 1980.
Eritrea ranks 196th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.9% | — |
| 1981 | 7.9% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 8.0% | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 8.1% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 8.1% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 8.2% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 8.3% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 8.4% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 8.5% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 8.6% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 8.7% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 8.8% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 8.9% | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 9.0% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 9.1% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 9.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 9.4% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 9.5% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 9.7% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 10.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 10.2% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 10.4% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 10.6% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 10.9% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 11.1% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 11.6% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 12.3% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 12.8% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 13.4% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 13.7% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 14.0% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 14.3% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 15.1% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 15.7% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 16.0% | +2.0% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 16.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 35.4%, 45% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 16.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 37% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.2% | 7.9% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.2% | 8.7% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.9% | 10.0% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.3% | 12.0% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 14.8% | 16.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
More gender data for Eritrea
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 1,428 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.34 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 2,575 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 2,575 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 49,309 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 50,569 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 47,954 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 49,112 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 46,799 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Eritrea was 16.0% 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 overweight or obese recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 16.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 1980.
- How does Eritrea rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Eritrea ranks 196th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.
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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.