Share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya
Kenya: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 42.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya is 42.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya peaked at 42.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.4%, in 1980.
Kenya ranks 148th 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.4% | — |
| 1981 | 10.8% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 11.2% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 11.7% | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 12.1% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 12.6% | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 13.0% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 13.5% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 14.1% | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 14.6% | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 15.2% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 15.7% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 16.3% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 17.0% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 17.6% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 18.3% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 19.0% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 19.8% | +4.0% |
| 1998 | 20.5% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 21.4% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 22.3% | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 23.2% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 24.1% | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 25.0% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 26.0% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 26.9% | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 27.9% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 28.8% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 29.7% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 30.6% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 31.5% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 32.4% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 33.3% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 34.3% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 35.2% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 36.1% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 36.9% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 37.7% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 38.5% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 39.3% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 40.0% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 40.7% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 41.4% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 42.1% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 42.8% | +1.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 42.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.3%, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 42.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 100% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12.4% | 10.4% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.1% | 15.2% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.4% | 22.3% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.5% | 31.5% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.4% | 40.0% | 42.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More gender data for Kenya
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 21,579 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.8794 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 41,524 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 41,524 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.3 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 740,912 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 751,960 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 725,839 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 736,424 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 712,907 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Kenya was 42.8% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4% in 1980.
- How does Kenya rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Kenya ranks 148th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.