Share of women who are overweight or obese in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 44.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 44.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 26.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Nigeria peaked at 44.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.2%, in 1980.
Nigeria ranks 141st 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11.2% | — |
| 1981 | 11.6% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 12.1% | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 12.5% | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 13.0% | +3.9% |
| 1985 | 13.5% | +3.9% |
| 1986 | 14.1% | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 14.6% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 15.2% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 15.8% | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 16.4% | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 17.0% | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 17.6% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 18.3% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 19.0% | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 19.7% | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 20.5% | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 21.3% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 22.1% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 23.0% | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 23.9% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 24.8% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 25.7% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 26.6% | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 27.4% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 28.3% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 29.1% | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 29.9% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 30.6% | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 31.4% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 32.0% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 32.7% | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 34.1% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 35.7% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 37.4% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 38.3% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 39.2% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 40.2% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 41.1% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 42.1% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 43.0% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 44.0% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.5% | 16.4% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.8% | 23.9% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.4% | 32.0% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.1% | 40.2% | 44.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More gender data for Nigeria
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 99,803 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6887 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 3.55 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 3.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 3.45 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 3.54 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 3.38 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 3.46 million (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 3.30 million (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 3.38 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Nigeria?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Nigeria was 44.0% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 44.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2% in 1980.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Nigeria ranks 141st out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.