Share of women who are overweight or obese in Rwanda
Rwanda: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 29.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda is 29.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 40.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Rwanda peaked at 29.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 1980.
Rwanda ranks 187th 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.9% | — |
| 1981 | 8.1% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 8.2% | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 8.3% | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 8.5% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 8.6% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 8.8% | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 9.0% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 9.2% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 9.3% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 9.5% | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 9.7% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 10.0% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 10.2% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 10.7% | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 11.0% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 11.3% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 11.6% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 12.0% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 12.4% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 12.8% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 14.8% | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 15.4% | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 16.0% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 16.6% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 17.3% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 17.9% | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 18.7% | +4.1% |
| 2012 | 19.4% | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 20.2% | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 21.1% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 21.9% | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 22.8% | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 23.6% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 24.5% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 25.3% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 26.2% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 27.0% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 27.9% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 29.7% | +3.1% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 29.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 35.4%, 84% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 29.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 42.8%, 69% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.6% | 7.9% | 9.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.6% | 9.5% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 12.4% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.5% | 17.9% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.9% | 26.2% | 29.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
- 184 South Sudan 30.8% compare
- 185 Cambodia 30.5% compare
- 186 Democratic Republic of Congo 29.8% compare
- 188 Burkina Faso 28.7% compare
- 189 Switzerland 28.2% compare
- 190 South Korea 25.3% compare
More gender data for Rwanda
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 5,716 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.9861 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 10,439 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 10,439 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.5 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 194,446 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 198,438 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 191,100 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 194,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 188,797 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Rwanda?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Rwanda was 29.7% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 29.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 1980.
- How does Rwanda rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Rwanda ranks 187th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.