Share of women who are overweight or obese in South Africa
South Africa: Share of women who are overweight or obese was 72.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of women who are overweight or obese in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 72.5% for share of women who are overweight or obese in 2024. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are overweight or obese in South Africa peaked at 72.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 1980.
That places South Africa 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 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 South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 44.6% | — |
| 1981 | 45.3% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 46.0% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 46.8% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 47.5% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 48.2% | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 49.0% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 49.7% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 50.5% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 51.2% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 51.9% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 52.7% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 53.4% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 54.1% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 54.8% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 55.6% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 56.3% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 57.0% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 57.7% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 58.5% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 59.2% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 60.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 60.8% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 61.5% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 62.3% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 63.0% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 63.7% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 64.4% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 65.0% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 65.5% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 66.0% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 66.5% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 67.0% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 67.5% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 67.9% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 68.4% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 68.9% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 69.4% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 69.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 70.3% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 70.8% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 71.2% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 71.7% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 72.1% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 72.5% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.9% | 44.6% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.2% | 51.9% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.5% | 59.2% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 68.2% | 66.0% | 70.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.6% | 70.8% | 72.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 51,011 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 51,011 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are overweight or obese in South Africa?
- Share of women who are overweight or obese in South Africa was 72.5% 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 72.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of women who are overweight or obese recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for share of women who are overweight or obese?
- South Africa ranks 37th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of women who are overweight or obese rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.