Share of women who are overweight or obese in Somalia
Somalia: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 48.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 48.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 23.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in Somalia peaked at 48.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 1980.
Somalia ranks 122nd 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 Somalia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15.5% | — |
| 1981 | 15.9% | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 16.3% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 16.7% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 17.1% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 17.5% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 18.0% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 18.4% | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 18.9% | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 19.4% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 19.9% | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 20.4% | +2.6% |
| 1992 | 21.0% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 21.5% | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 22.1% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 22.7% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 23.4% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 24.1% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 24.8% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 25.6% | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 26.4% | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 27.3% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 28.2% | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 29.1% | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 30.0% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 31.9% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 32.8% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 33.7% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 34.7% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 35.6% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 36.6% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 37.6% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 38.6% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 39.6% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 40.6% | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 41.6% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 42.6% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 43.5% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 44.5% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 45.4% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 46.3% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 47.2% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 48.0% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 48.9% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.4% | 15.5% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.5% | 19.9% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.5% | 26.4% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.1% | 35.6% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.2% | 45.4% | 48.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More gender data for Somalia
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 10,410 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 2.2 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 379,876 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 393,718 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 364,586 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 376,417 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 351,742 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 363,131 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 338,542 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 349,118 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in Somalia?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in Somalia was 48.9% 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 1980.
- How does Somalia rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- Somalia ranks 122nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia 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.