Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malawi
Malawi: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 35.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 35.3% 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 2.8% on the previous year and up 35.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Malawi peaked at 35.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1980.
Malawi ranks 177th 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.7% | — |
| 1981 | 7.9% | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 8.2% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 8.4% | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 8.9% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 9.2% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 9.5% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 9.8% | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 10.1% | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 10.4% | +3.2% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 11.1% | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 11.5% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 11.9% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 12.3% | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 12.8% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 13.3% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 13.8% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 14.4% | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 15.0% | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 16.3% | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 17.8% | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 18.5% | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 19.3% | +4.1% |
| 2007 | 20.1% | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 21.6% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 22.4% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 23.3% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 24.1% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 25.0% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 25.9% | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 26.9% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 27.8% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 28.7% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 29.7% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 30.6% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 31.5% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 32.5% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 33.4% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 34.3% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 35.3% | +2.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 35.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 35.4%, 100% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 35.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 82% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.8% | 7.7% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.2% | 10.4% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 15.0% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.5% | 22.4% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 31.5% | 35.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More gender data for Malawi
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 9,494 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.4 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 15,667 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 15,667 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 3.13 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 330,369 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 332,767 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 322,764 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 324,764 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 316,113 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Malawi?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Malawi was 35.3% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 35.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1980.
- How does Malawi rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Malawi ranks 177th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.