Share of women who are overweight or obese in Ghana
Ghana: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 53.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Ghana, 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 Ghana stood at 53.3%. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Ghana peaked at 53.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 1980.
Ghana ranks 111th 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 9.3% | — |
| 1981 | 9.9% | +5.8% |
| 1982 | 10.4% | +5.8% |
| 1983 | 11.0% | +5.8% |
| 1984 | 11.7% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 12.3% | +5.7% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | +5.6% |
| 1987 | 13.8% | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 14.5% | +5.5% |
| 1989 | 15.3% | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +5.4% |
| 1991 | 17.0% | +5.3% |
| 1992 | 17.9% | +5.3% |
| 1993 | 18.8% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 19.8% | +5.2% |
| 1995 | 20.8% | +5.2% |
| 1996 | 21.9% | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 23.0% | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 24.3% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 25.5% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 26.8% | +5.1% |
| 2001 | 28.1% | +4.9% |
| 2002 | 29.5% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 30.8% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 32.0% | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 33.3% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 34.5% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 35.6% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 36.7% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 37.7% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 38.6% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 39.6% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 40.5% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 41.4% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 42.4% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 43.4% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 44.5% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 45.5% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 46.6% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 47.7% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 48.8% | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 50.0% | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 51.1% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 52.2% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 53.3% | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.1% | 9.3% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.5% | 16.1% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.5% | 26.8% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.0% | 38.6% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.1% | 48.8% | 53.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More gender data for Ghana
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 12,710 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.3902 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 428,908 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 442,748 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 424,540 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 437,618 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 420,712 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 433,463 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 417,006 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 429,268 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Ghana?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Ghana was 53.3% 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 53.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 1980.
- How does Ghana rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Ghana ranks 111th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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.